The Gemini's Other Half
by Murasaki Lumi
Summary: Carita Collins was just your average girl. She had a life, friends and the best dad in the world. But, in just one split second, her world came crashing down. Read on to find out. KaixOC
1. The Start Of My Story

**Hey folks! Well, I know that it's been a long time since the last time I updated, due to computer difficulties. I just had to! For today is the birthday of my good friend, Moonlight Kitten. She shares the same birthday as the Queen of Thailand, Her Majesty Queen Sirikit Kitiyakara. She has captured the hearts of the Thai people through her devotion to improving the welfare and well-being of her subjects. So, there's a little bit of trivia for you today. **

**Happy Birthday Moonlight Kitten! Keep on shining girl, you know I love you!**

**Disclaimer: **No, I don't own Beyblade, I just own my OC's and anything else you don't recognize from the show, I own.

**Summary:** Carita Collins was just your average girl. She had a life, friends and the best dad in the world. But, in just one split second, her world came crashing down. She is sent to live with a long ago forgotten family friend, which she has never met. Knowing that her father would want her to be happy, she struggles to recover. Will it all work out in the end? Or will the colour remain black and white in her life? Kai/OC

**The Gemini's Other Half**

**Chapter One: The Start Of My Story**

I said nothing as I stared out the window of the limousine. Yes, I, Carita Claire Collins was in a limousine. Suppose I would be awestruck and abnormally hyper if the reason I was traveling in the limo wasn't so...bleak. I sighed as I watched the streets pass me by. I blinked. Everything seemed to be faded, all the colours blended. It didn't used to be that way. I felt so numb, but I felt so much pain. My eyes stung, as if I had just stopped crying, even though I had stopped a day or so before. Ah, suppose I should start from the beginning, so you know what the hell I'm talking about.

When I was 5 years old, life seemed great. It was just Mum, Dad and me, and we were all happy, well, at least, I thought we were. It turned out that my mother was quite the...um...bitch, really. There's just no other way to put it. My father was a great guy, I don't think anyone could ask for a better husband and father. Well, anyone except my mother, that is.

**#Flashback/Memory#**

A tall man with kind blue eyes and short, light brown hair stood in the living room, his face crinkled with worry.

"Why are you doing this Zita?" he asked, voice filled with confusion, hurt and anger.

The woman to whom he was speaking to just ignored him, and continued to gather her possessions. Unknown to the adults, a small 5 year old girl was peeking at them from a doorway.

"Answer me Zita!" he shouted, anger clearly shown on his face.

The thin, deep sapphire-haired woman turned to face the man. She pulled her wedding band off her finger and threw it at him.

"Here, keep it!" she hissed, her deep rose orbs filled with spite. At first glance, anyone would know that the woman was purely a self-centered vixen.

The man caught the golden ring. He opened his palm and looked down at it, confused. He looked back up at Zita.

"I don't understand." he said quietly.

The woman rolled her eyes and threw her hands in the air with fustration.

"Ugh! Don't you get it! I'm through with you! I've had it!"

The man stared at her, shocked. Zita rolled her eyes and picked up her suitcase and handbag. She walked over to the closet and opened it, searching for her coat.

"But-but what about Carita?" he asked, still trying to recover from his shock.

Zita rolled her eyes. "She's your daughter, do what you want with her, put her in a garbage bag and drown her for all I care!"

The little girl cringed, tears welling up in her creamy jade eyes.

"So that's it then, you're just going to walk out on her like this?"

"I'm through with playing Miss Mummy, I never wanted kids, they're all little, vile creatures." Zita said in a bored, uncaring tone, pulling on her coat.

"My daughter is not vile!" the man exclaimed.

"I don't care David, I'm done here." with that, Zita walked out, slamming the door behind her.

"Yeah, good riddance." David muttered as the sound of the car screeching up the street faded.

"Daddy?" a small voice quivered.

David turned around quickly. He looked down and smiled when he saw his daughter. She was peeking out at him from the doorway into the kitchen, her eyes glassed over with tears. David tsked and kneeled down, holding his arms open.

The little girl pried herself away from the doorway and ran into her father's open arms. She hugged him tightly, as if afraid he would disappear once she let go.

"Don't worry sweetie, everything's going to be ok." David said soothingly, stroking his daughter's blonde hair, hugging her back with the other arm.

**#End Flashback/Memory#**

And he was right, everything did turn out ok. Sure, I might have been a little down that year on Mother's Day, but hey, with the father I had, who needed a mother like mine? My father became my best friend, we told each other everything! Sure, it put me behind in the fashion and beauty department, but I never felt like I was out on anything!

**#Flashback/Memory#**

"Ok honey, just keep your eye on the ball!" David called out encouragingly as he pitched the baseball to his 8 year old daughter.

Carita swung the bat, making contact with the baseball in a satisfying smack. David turned around as he watched the ball fly through the air, mouth hanging open. Carita grinned cheekily as she started to run to first base. David saw her out of the corner of his eye, however, and started to run after her. Carita shrieked gleefully as her father grabbed her waist and started to tickle her stomach. She laughed and squirmed, trying to get away.

Her father soon stopped, sitting her on his knee. Carita smiled as she pulled of his cap and placed it on her head. David grinned.

"Nice look for you."

**#End Flashback/Memory#**

So, there you have it. I had the most perfect dad in the world, and the best life anyone could hope for. What else could a girl have, need or want? My father was my entire world, and I was his. Nothing could tear us apart. Well, almost nothing.

**#Flashback/Memory#**

Carita sighed as she leaned back into the car seat. She smiled happily.

"Thanks for taking me ice-skating Dad."

David looked at his daughter's reflection in the review mirror. He smiled.

"Well, think of it as an early birthday present. And besides, you've been talking about that indoor ice-skating place ever since it opened 2 months ago."

Carita laughed. "I guess you must've gotten sick of me, huh?"

David looked at his daughter in the backseat as they stopped at a red light.

"Nah, I could never get sick of you...but ice-skating isn't something I'm fond of."

Carita giggled, green eyes sparkling. "Is it because you fell back on the ice?"

David turned back around to face the road. "I hate you."

Carita laughed. "That's only because I got in on camera!"

David grinned, despite the fact that it was his reputation that got degraded from the moment. "I'm just joking, you know I love you."

Carita sighed happily as she stared out the window at the night sky. "I love you too Dad."

David smiled as the light turned green and he started to drive again. Carita's head snapped away from the window when she heard the sound of screeching tyres. Her eyes widened.

"Dad, look out!" she exclaimed.

David tried to slam the brakes, but it was too late. The car that drove through the red light slammed into them, sending them into a spin. Carita screamed as the car spun around in circles on the road. David gritted his teeth as he tried to get the car under control. The last thing he heard was his daughter's scream as the car smashed into the streetlight pole.

**#End Flashback/Memory#**

Within the blink of an eye, my world came crashing down. I lost my best friend that night, and from then on, nothing was or ever would be, the same.

**#Flashback/Memory#**

After the funeral service, all the people dressed in black started to walk away from the closed, shiny, black casket. Everyone except for one 15 year old girl. Her blonde hair and the black ribbon tied into it fluttered softly in the breeze. She says nothing, does nothing, except stand where she is, staring at the casket. Her face is pale, her green eyes dull and red-rimmed from crying, she is far too thin from lack of food. Her face expression is as dull as her eyes, anyone would know that the young girl was shattered, she had heartbroken written all over her.

A few moments later, a gentle hand was placed on her shoulder. Carita looked up and turned around slowly. Standing in front of her was her great-aunt, Elsie.

"Cara dear, we have to go now." she said in a soft voice, looking almost as downcast as her great-niece.

Carita nodded. "Just one moment please, Aunt Elsie."

The elderly woman nodded understandingly. Carita turned back to the casket and kneeled down on the grass beside it. Carefully, she pulled the black ribbon out of her hair. It looked like a thin, silky noose. Carita shuddered inwardly at the thought as she untied the knot. Then she plucked out a white rose from the many flowers on top of the coffin. She had brought it from home herself, it was the first plant she and her father had ever planted together, so to her, it meant a great deal. Working with extreme caution, she tied a bow around the long green stem. Then she placed it back down gently. She leaned forward, out-stretching her arms over the casket, hugging it, as the side of her face rested upon its smooth surface.

"I love you Daddy." she whispered, as a crystal tear ran down her cheek.

Upon hearing and seeing this, the elderly woman's eyes shone with tears. Just like her nephew's, they were blue, kind and joy-filled, but wiser. But today, the joy was replaced with bitter sorrow. Soon, Carita stood up, brushing the moisture off her cheek. Then she turned to her great-aunt, stepped beside her and linked their arms. Slowly, they walked down the bricked path in silence. It was only after they got off the bus, walked down the streets and into Aunt Elsie's house, did they finally release their grief and cry their broken hearts out. Carita clung to her aunt, and Elsie clung to her niece. They were all each other had left, and they knew it.

**#End Flashback/Memory#**

It was the saddest day of my life. Then there was the reading of my father's will the next day. Some man that lived in Russia got custody of me. At first, I thought I would've gone with Aunt Elsie, and was furious that I was placed into the hands of a complete stranger, but it seemed to make sense after a moment. Aunt Elsie was old, her time would come soon, no doubt. And as for going to another country, well, it would give me the opportunity to start over and move on. It's what my dad wanted, that I knew. And so did Aunt Elsie. She voiced my very thoughts after the reading! So it was set, I packed my things and was ready to leave for Russia 4 days later. I didn't want to say goodbye to my friends, it would've been far too painful, after having to say my final goodbye to my dad, so I never said anything about leaving. But, alas, rain, hail or shine, nothing would ever stop Aunt Elsie, so she was there to see me off.

**#Flashback/Memory#**

"So, do you have everything child?"

"Yes, I'm sure I've got the lot, Aunt Elsie." Carita replied as she fiddled with the strap of her backpack.

"Well, nearly." the elderly woman said with a sly smile as she reached into her pocket.

Carita blinked as she watched her great-aunt. Her aunt's pale, wrinkly hand opened and Carita stared down with wonder at what she saw. Lying in the palm of her great-aunt's hand was a crystal teardrop the size of her thumbprint, connected to a silver chain. It glinted in the light, reflecting rays of multicoloured light over the elderly hand.

"It's beautiful." Carita whispered in awe.

"Ah, my dear, it is, but it's also much more than that!"

Carita's green orbs widened as the crystal started to faintly glow and pulsate in the woman's hand. And in the blink of an eye, it stopped, just as it started.

"I-I don't understand." she stuttered.

"You will soon enough. That was my exact reaction when my mother past this to me." Elsie said, nimbly undoing the catch as she placed it around her great-niece's neck.

"Aunt Elsie-"

"No sweetheart, you will have to unlock the secrets of this crystal yourself. And when the time comes, you'll pass it down to your own daughter."

Carita shivered slightly at her aunt's words. She sounded so certain, so sure.

"You seem so confident about that." Carita commented, her voice quivering slightly.

The ash-haired woman smiled satisfyingly. "I guess that's because it's true." she replied, blue eyes sparkling.

Carita opened her mouth to reply, but the call for her flight interupted. She sobered. This was it, time for another sad goodbye. They hugged tightly.

"Don't forget to write to me, and call when you can."

"I will Aunt Elsie, I will!"

"Good! I'll need to know how you're doing everyday. And tell Voltaire that if he lays one finger on my great-niece intending harm, I'll have his blue veins for my bootlaces!"

Carita laughed as she pulled out of the hug, studying her aunt's face, memorizing every detail.

"Oh, and before I forget..."

Elsie reached into her bag and pulled out a rectangular object wrapped in brown paper.

"What is it?" Carita asked as she accepted it.

Elsie winked. "Don't open it until you board the plane, then you'll find out."

"Final call for flight KS221 to Russia. Final call for flight KS221 to Russia. Please come to gate G18 to board the flight." the cool, calm voice called out on the speakers.

"You have to go." Elsie said softly.

Carita looked away from the gate and back at her aunt.

"Oh!" she cried out, throwing her arms around the elderly woman, green eyes filling fast with tears.

"Come on now, chin up! It won't be so bad, you'll be able to return to me someday." Elsie said in a firm, comforting voice.

Carita squeezed her eyes shut and nodded. "I know, I know."

She pulled away, forcing a smile as she walked up to the counter. As she walked down the hallway, Carita slowed and turned to face Elsie, her face showing hesitance. Elsie smiled.

"What are you still doing here? Go on!" she cried, throwing her hands up.

Carita smiled and waved before continuing down the corridor. Elsie waved goodbye until her niece disappeared from sight. Elsie lowered her hand, staring at the empty gateway. She brushed a tear from her eye, turned then walked back the way she came, exiting the airport.

Meanwhile, Carita had found her seat on the airplane, placed her purple backpack next to her and was now carefully opening Aunt Elsie's gift. When the paper unfolded, her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open. In her lap was what had to be the most beautiful book she had ever seen. It was 26cm long and 5cm thick. It was leather-bound and had silver boarders clamped on the front, spine and back. In those boarders were beautiful gems that were every colour under the sun, in various shapes and sizes.

'It's so beautiful, it has to be an antique!' Carita thought as her fingers wandered over the silver metal and multicoloured jewels. She turned the book to see if there was anything written on the spine. Her eyebrows narrowed slightly as she read the old, silver calligraphy writing.

"Oracle." Carita read quietly aloud to herself.

Then she turned the book over again. There was a silver clasp with tiny gems dotted across it, and in the centre was what seemed to be a keyhole, shaped into a teardrop. Carita looked down at the crystal around her neck.

'It's almost as if this thing's a diary.' Carita mused to herself as she turned the crystal in the lock.

It clicked open and Carita put the crystal around her neck before opening the book. The first thing she saw was an envelope with her name on it, in Aunt Elsie's free-flowing, elegant writing. The envelope wasn't glued, so Carita opened it with a quick flip of her thumb. She unfolded the letter and smoothed it out, then she began to read.

_Dearest Cara, _

_If you are reading this, then that means I have already past down the crystal and Oracle to you, and it also means that you have uncovered one of the crystal's uses. It also means that your incredible journey is about to begin. This journey is called life. The Oracle has been in the family for many generations, much like the crystal. You will find that the Oracle holds the writing of your female ancestors, you have the stories of many lives lying in your very hands! Yes, the Oracle is a diary in one way, but it will also be the answer to many questions, if you care to read. _

Carita looked down at the very first page in the Oracle. Upon it was names, women's names, all different, written in different hand-writing. A small smile graced Carita's lips as she saw her aunt's name and hand-writing at the very bottom of the list. Then she continued to read the letter.

_Confusing to you as it may be, you will soon see the sense. The Oracle is a family tradition, one that has been left up to you to continue with and pass on. When it comes to the crystal, you may be...scared of who you are at times. Read very carefully. You, as many others of the past, have been chosen to wield the crystal. You are a special creature, a star that shines brightly in the night, the light that will guide others out of the darkness. 'Are we witches, Aunt Elsie?' you might ask. I will answer, no my dear, we are much more magical beings than that! The thought, 'I don't understand' runs through your mind. Neither did I, at first, but I soon did. _

Carita stopped reading and looked at the teardrop around her neck for a moment, before continuing to read the letter.

_Start writing in the Oracle today. After all, what is the point of embarking a great journey, if you don't get to tell the tale? _

Carita smiled. She could so clearly picture those words coming out of her great-aunt's mouth, smiling knowingly, her blue eyes twinkling.

_My dear, life won't always be simple, but I am always here for you, whenever you need me. Take care Carita, loving you always, Aunt Elsie. _

Carita looked up from the letter and stared straight ahead, deep in thought. Then she folded the letter, put it in the envelope and into her bag. Then hesitantly, she reached into her bag again and pulled out her trademark pen, a green BIC Cristal M biro. She noticed a white ribbon sticking out like a bookmark, so that's where she opened the book. On the left page was Aunt Elsie's last entry, and on the right page was...nothing. It was completely blank.

'Guess that's where I start.' Carita thought to herself.

She uncapped her pen and held it just above the paper, wondering what to write. After a while, a faint smile appeared as she bent her head and started to write. When she was done, Carita recapped her pen, put the ribbon back in place and shut the book.

'Oh, wait, I should add my name to the list.' Carita thought, uncapping her pen again and opening the Oracle to the first page.

She scrolled down the long list with her eyes and pen. Just as she was about to write her name, she gasped. It was already there.

'What! How can this be! I didn't write my name there! I don't even have a black pen, mine's green. But it's there, and in my hand writing too.'

Carita brushed her fingertips over her name. She was definitely not seeing things, her name was there, she could feel the smooth ink on the faintly textured paper. Carita shrugged and recapped her pen again, put it in her bag and shut the book. She heard a small, metallic click. Carita looked at the clasp. Then she tried to open the book. It wouldn't budge.

"Weird." she murmured to herself.

'First my name appears on the first page without me writing it, now the book locks itself, it's just like...could it be?'

"Nah." Carita whispered to herself.

It was impossible. There was no such thing as magic. Was there? Carita shook her head to clear it and placed the mysterious book in her bag.

**#End Flashback/Memory#**

Yes, the crystal and the Oracle. And Aunt Elsie was right. I was scared, terrified, petrified at times of my events with the crystal, but over time, I understood. Sure, you want to know more, right? But I can't tell you yet, after all, you have to tell the story from the beginning, correct? Yes, that's what I thought. Now, back to where I was...oh yes, the airport.

Well, after I put the Oracle in my bag, I just stared out the window. All I saw was the blue sky and the white, fluffy clouds. Is this what heaven looked like? Was Dad in heaven now? An image appeared in my head of my Dad wearing a white robe, decked out in angel wings, glowing halo over his head, flying up to my window, waving at me, asking me who won the last football game. It made me smile a little. Dad always used to tease me, saying that the only thing active about me was my imagination. I sighed as I focused out the window again. I felt so awful and torn, Remembering Dad made me happy, but then I remembered that he was gone, that I would never have him wake me by picking up the end of the bed and shaking it, never see his twinkling blue eyes and boyish smile again, never hear him say what he always used to. I wanted to be happy and smile about his memories, but I just couldn't. I knew that I had said goodbye, but it was just so hard. I sighed. I was still recovering. I'd be ok soon, I knew I would be. Anyway, let's fast forward to when I landed in Russia, yeah?

Carita took off her bag as it went through the scanning machine. She blinked as she looked at the monitor screen. She could see her bag, and what was in it. The Oracle was...gone. It had vanished!

"Miss? Could you please step through the arch?"

Carita came back to reality and nodded at the officer and did so. When she got her backpack from the machine, she quickly walked around the corner and checked inside. She blinked. The Oracle was there. Just as she had left it. But if it was there, why didn't it show up on the screen?

'It's hiding itself.' she thought.

'It truly is magic! Wow, this is so surreal!'

Carita's mind buzzed as she gathered the rest of her luggage and made her way to the arrivals gate. She searched the crowd for a while, then saw a very immaculately dressed man holding a sign with her name on it. She walked up to him. The man that looked very much like a butler looked down at her.

"Miss Collins, I presume?" he said.

Carita nodded. "Yes sir."

A small smile appeared on the butler's face. "Welcome to Russia, Miss Collins."

"Thank you, sir." Carita said respectfully with a tiny nod.

"Allow me." the butler said, taking the two suitcases out of her hands.

"Oh, thanks." Carita said, a tad surprised.

She followed the butler to the carpark.

"A...a limo?" Carita said in awe.

"Isn't that a bit much?"

The butler chuckled lightly as he placed the suitcases in the back. "I take it that you don't know Master Hiwatari that well?"

Carita shook her head. "No sir, I don't, I didn't know he existed until the reading of my father's will."

"Your father's will?"

"My father past away a few days ago sir, and Voltaire was given full custody of me."

"Oh, I see." the butler said quietly, his voice having an apologetic tone to it.

After a moment of awkward silence, the butler opened the door and Carita slid into the car.

"Wow! This is one decked out car!"

The butler chuckled as he shut the door and got into his drivers seat. The girl's cheerful spirit was hard to resist.

'Life with her around will be very interesting at the mansion. She contrasts with the masters unbelievably well.'

"So, who is this Voltaire guy anyway? I mean, with all this, he must do something big for a living!" Carita said, breaking the butler's thoughts.

The butler stiffened slightly. 'Yeah, he does something big alright.' he thought grimly.

"Master Voltaire is a millionaire, he works with an...organization." the butler said carefully, being sure to say the right words.

'She'll be better off not knowing Master Voltaire's dark ways.' he thought.

"So, Miss Collins, how old are you?" the butler asked, trying to start a conversation.

"I'm 15, and you can call me Carita, sir."

The butler smiled. "As you wish, Carita and you may call me Frank."

"Ok...Frankie?" Carita asked, with a small smile and laugh.

Frank laughed too, then his face turned to stone and he looked very serious.

"No. Frank."

"Ok, got your point." Carita said, looking down at her clasped hands in her lap then out the window.

Frank glanced at her in the review mirror. "So, you're 15, the same age as Master Kai."

"Master Kai?" Carita repeated, looking at Frank in the review mirror.

"Master Kai is Master Voltaire's grandson."

"Ah, right. Is it...part of your job to be so formal?"

"If it is requested, yes. If the masters asked me to be informal and dress like a hippie, I would have to do so if I wished to keep my job."

Carita giggled at the thought. "Your humor is very likeable Frank."

"Thank you Carita. Though I don't usually talk this much on the job."

"Why is that?"

"The masters are not your average social type. For instance, talking to Master Kai is like talking to a brick."

"Ah, right."

"It's not healthy for the boy to be like that, in my opinion. But, I'm just a butler to them."

"For what it's worth, I think you're much more."

"Thank you Carita."

"You're welcome."

"So, Carita, how did you end up with Voltaire?"

"Well, apparently, the Hiwataris and the Collins have been family friends for quite sometime, but I'm not too sure about the friends part."

"And why is that?"

"Well, my great-aunt Elsie said to tell Voltaire that she would use his blue veins as bootlaces if he harmed me."

Frank chuckled. "Ah, yes, that does indeed sound like Elsie."

"You know her?"

"Yes, I do. You must be David's daughter then?"

"Yes, you are correct."

"I'm sorry my dear, as old as I am, I'm twice as curious, how did your father die?"

"We were coming home from ice-skating one night. A car drove through a red light and hit us. The car was sent into a spin and crashed into a phone line pole."

Frank sighed. "I'm so sorry dear, awful thing to happen."

"Yeah." Carita sighed, staring out the window.

So, there you have it. That's how I got here. I sighed as I stared out the window. I blinked. It was quite late now. It had just started to get dark and we seemed to be in a forest-like grove.

"Where are we?" I murmured.

"Nearly there, Miss Carita." Frank said, never taking his eyes off the road.

I sighed quietly as I looked out the window and up at the night sky. I could see the moon peeking through the treetops and one or two stars. I shivered slightly as I pulled down the red long sleeves of my top. Russia was chilly. And much like Kai's attitude, as I was about to find out.

**Wow! Ok, finally done! That took me ages! Ok, now I know it's no longer August 12th, but I had this all typed up months ago, then my comp just had to crash and take all my saved stuff with it. Now I just got it back and had to type this chapter up all over again! I could've gotten it out on time, but, 1. I was lazy and 2. I got distracted far too easily. Well, I guess that covers all the finer points. Hope you had a Happy Birthday Moonlight Kitten, and I hope you enjoy your story.**


	2. My New Home

**Hey everyone! Wow, people like the story already! Cool! Well, I don't have anything left to say except thanks for the reviews and hope to get a review from all of you after this chapter! And now, I bring you the second chapter to The Gemini's Other Half! **

**The Gemini's Other Half**

**Chapter Two: My New Home**

_'Oh. My. Holy. God.' _ Carita thought as the mansion came into view.

"Um, is this mansion the kind of place that's bigger on the inside than it looks on the outside?" Carita asked in a squeaky voice.

Frank chuckled. "Don't worry Miss, you'll get used to it."

"Uh, yeah, but until then, do you think you could give me a map?"

Frank chuckled again. "We'll see Miss."

Frank got out of the car and opened the door for Carita. Carita stepped out of the car, putting on her backpack in a dreamlike state, still staring wide-eyed at the mansion in awe.

"I suddenly feel so small." she said quietly.

Frank smiled kindly as he picked up Carita's suitcases. "So did I, when I first started to work for the Hiwataris, but after a short while, living in the mansion seemed less...intimidating."

_'Besides, it's the masters you should be worried about.' _Frank thought.

Carita walked up to Frank and took the suitcases back.

"I know it's part of your job to carry things, but I can do it myself, I have two hands, so I'm quite capable."

Frank smiled wryly. "If you insist, Carita."

"Oh, I do insist." Carita replied briskly as she walked towards the marble steps that led to the front door.

Frank chuckled to himself as he followed the blonde. When Carita reached the front door, she put down one suitcase and lifted the brass doorknocker, tapping it down 3 times. Just as she picked up her suitcase again, the door opened. Carita blinked. She hadn't expected the door to be answered so soon. Coming back to earth, Carita walked inside.

She turned her head and saw another butler standing by the open door. He stood up stiffly, head inclined high.

_'Geez, I hope his job isn't to stand at the door all day, and is he even breathing! God, do the people here know that the word "relax" exists and actually has a meaning?' _

Carita walked into the mansion further. She couldn't help but look all around the room. Magnificent crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, huge canvas paintings were pinned to the walls, along with various mahogany furniture, richly embroided rugs and whatnot.

_'Gosh, all this in just one room? This place is so, so...' _

"Wow." Carita breathed, still taking in the splendorof the one room.

"So, Miss Collins, you arrive at last." A voice drawled, breaking the silence.

Carita's green eyes snapped away from the glowing chandeliers to the person owning the voice. She found herself looking at a tall, respectably dressed man with long white and grey hair. His crimson orbs had an intimidating glint in them. Carita knew at once that she did not want to mess with this man. Finally, Carita found her voice.

"Yes, sir." she nodded.

"I assume you had a good flight?"

"Yes sir."

"Hn. Welcome to the Hiwatari household, Miss Collins."

"Thank you sir."

"Diane, show Miss Collins to her room." Voltaire said to a passing maid.

"Of course sir." the maid replied with a nod.

"This way." the maid said to Carita, turning around to lead the way up the white marble staircase.

Carita followed, slowing down to look at any picture she passed and so on.

_'Oh, geez, I'm definately gonna get lost in here!' _Carita thought desperately to herself as they walked up a black marble staircase.

The maid walked up to a door and was about to open it when she realized that the blonde girl wasn't with her. Diane turned around and saw Carita staring at a carving in a door a few steps away. A small amused smile played on the maid's mouth as she walked back towards Carita. She stepped behind her and gently pushed her forward.

"This way dear." Diane chidded kindly.

Carita blinked as she came back around. She grinned sheepishly. "Sorry Diane."

"Don't worry dear, let's just get to your room first, then you can gawk at the mansion."

Carita sighed. "I don't think I'll ever get used to living here."

Diane laughed. "That's what I thought. I kept on getting lost on my first week of working here, but I eventually found my way around."

"I hope it's as easy to adjust as you make it sound." Carita said in a slightly anxious tone as Diane stopped at an oak door.

"Yes, I believe that this is your room." Diane said, opening the door.

Carita stepped inside and her eyes widened in surprise, mouth dropping open. Her room looked like something out of a fairytale. The walls were a pretty, pale blue, there was a huge double bed adorned with pillows, cusions and a plush, white satin quilt. Next to the bed was a mahogany bedside table. There was an oak desk opposite the bed with an oak bookcase next to it, stocked with books. There were doors that led to a walk-in closet and a bathroom. And directly opposite Carita were two identical french doors with their sheer curtains tied back either side of them, a balcony behind the doors, which was sure to give a good view.

Carita turned to face Diane. "Thank you." Carita said, managing not to squeak.

Diane smiled, a knowing glint in her eye. "You're welcome. Anything you need, just ask."

Carita dropped her suitcases and slung off her backpack, letting it hit the floor. She walked over to the bed, turned around and fell back into its softness.

"Oh, I won't need anything. Not for a long time." Carita replied as she stared up at the ceiling, stressing the word "long".

Diane laughed and exited the room. Carita continued to stare up at the ceiling as she debated with herself whether or not she was dreaming.

_'If I wasn't dreaming, then I wouldn't be here, I would be at home with Dad.' _

This thought seemed to sober up Carita's awed mood instantly and she stood up and walked over to her suitcases, picking them up anad placing them on the bed before she opened them and started to unpack.

When Carita's suitcases were empty, she closed them and stored them away on the high shelf in her walk-in closet. Then Carita turned to her purple backpack that was still on the floor. Carita walked over to it and picked it up before straightening and looking around the room. There had to be a hiding place somewhere in her bedroom for the Oracle, somewhere easy to remember, but also something that disguised it well. Carita smiled as her eyes landed on the bookcase.

_'Perfect!' _Carita thought as she opened her backpack and walked over to the bookcase.

The bookcase had plenty of books to disguise the Oracle among, as most of the books were old encycopedias. Once she had convinced herself that the Oracle was safe, Carita began to unpack the contents in her bag, which included her discman, CD's, a photo album, pens, a stationary set, a few books of her own and a couple of packets of half-finished chewing gum.

Just as she stowed away her empty backpack, a knock sounded on Carita's door. She opened it, only to set her curious eyes on an immaculately dressed butler.

"Miss Collins, I have been informed to tell you that dinner is ready, from the Master."

"Uh, ok...am I supposed to follow you now?"

"If you wish."

"Well, sure, you at least have to know your way around this place better than me, and it would do me no good to get lost. It's not polite to turn up late for dinner."

The butler pursed his lips together firmly and gave a curt nod, then turned on his heel and began to lead the way.

222222222222222222222222222222

When Carita entered the room, she was surprised to see two people, sitting at the large dining room table. One was Voltaire, the other was a boy that looked to be about the same age as herself, 15.

_'Ah, he must be Voltaire's grandson, Kai.' _Carita thought to herself.

The boy seemed to have a cold, distant, stay-far-away-from-me air about him. He had slate and navy blue wildly scruffy hair. His eyes were closed, so Carita didn't know what colour they were. Kai's arms were crossed firmly over his chest and his slate eyebrows were snapped down, an angry scowl painted across his face.

Carita smiled wryly to herself on the inside. Kai appeared to be exactly what Frank had told her, your average, angsty, hide-all-emotions teenage boy.

"Ah, Carita, it's about time you arrived. This is my grandson, Kai. Grandson, this is Carita Collins, the girl I told you about."

After his grandfather spoke, Kai opened his eyes. Carita felt her breath catch in her throat. She found herself locking gazes with a pair of cold, endangering-looking eyes, in the most brilliant shade of grey Carita had ever seen.

"Hn." was Kai's only response before he closed his eyes once again.

Carita blinked. _'Wow. Frank wasn't joking when he said that talking to Kai is like talking to a brick!' _

Over dinner, very little conversation was made. But during one of the rare times when words were spoken, the subject of Carita's great-aunt came up.

"So, Carita, your great-aunt is still alive, I presume."

"She was the last time I checked sir, yes."

"Hn. How is Elsie Collins these days?"

"As she always is sir. Grieving after the loss of my dad, as am I, but still head-strong."

"Hn. Still the same stubborn hag by the sounds of it."

"Oh, definately sir. Aunt Elsie almost said the same thing about you. She said that you were a crusty old windbag." Carita said coolly.

She shouldn't have said that, she knew that. But Carita didn't like the way Voltaire spoke of her great-aunt, not one bit. Unknown to both Voltaire and Carita, a tiny smirk flickered across Kai's mouth, but he quickly adapted back to his usual stern frown.

Voltaire's upper lip curled into a slight sneer as he raised an eyebrow. "Oh, did she really?"

Carita nodded. "I believe she did sir, yes."

"Hn."

"Oh, and I have a message for you, from my great-aunt sir."

"And that would be?"

"She said to tell you that if you lay one finger on me intending harm, she'll have your blue veins for her bootlaces."

"Hn."

Kai shortly chuckled under his breath, so he would be unheard. Carita however, caught a hint of the sound and glanced in Kai's direction. Time seemed to freeze as green crashed with grey. Carita felt a strange zing go through her heart and her nerves shivered. She tore her creamy jade eyes off Kai and looked at Voltaire. The old man now had both eyebrows raised, a look of amusement on his face.

"She said that, did she?"

"Yes, she did. And if you'll excuse me, I'm going to turn in for the night. It's been a long day."

With that, Carita stood up from the table and walked out of the dining room. Once Voltaire felt that the girl was well out of earshot, he looked at his grandson, who was sitting in the same position as he usually did; arms crossed, eyes closed with a scowl on his face.

"So, Grandson, what do you think of her?"

"Humph." was Kai's only reply before he too stood and left the room.

222222222222222222222222222222222222222

After she showered and brushed her teeth, Carita towel-dried her long blonde hair and brushed out the tangles. Then, ever so quietly, Carita opened the french doors and walked out onto the balcony. Carita fiddled with the crystal teardrop around her neck as she gazed up to the stars. She sighed as she watched the faraway orbs of energy shine brightly as diamonds against the velvet black night sky. As she looked at the cresent moon, Carita thought of her great-aunt, and wondered if Elsie missed her as much as Carita did her.

But most of all, Carita missed her dad, and wondered of he was watching over her like the moon and stars did. Carita suddenly shivered as a Russian night breeze blew past. The cold Russian air felt like ice on Carita's skin.

"You really should rug up more, you know. You're just going to end up sick." a cold voice spoke, cutting through the silence like a sharp knife.

Carita jumped at the sound of the unfamiliar voice and looked in the direction from which it came from. Leaning against a wall next to the french doors on the balcony on Carita's left was Kai, his grey eyes closed, arms folded over his chest. Carita looked down at her PJ's, which were a pair of navy Puma trackies and a black tank top with an anime-styled fox design on the front. Carita then looked back at Kai, who wasn't wearing any more clothing than she was.

"Could say the same thing to you." Carita replied.

"Hn. I've lived here all my life, I can handle it."

At this, Carita raised a pale eyebrow. "Oh, as opposed to that I _can't_ handle the cold?"

"Hn. You said it, I didn't, kid."

Carita's blood boiled as she bit back a growl and forced herself to calm down. "My name's not kid, it's Carita."

"Humph. Whatever."

Carita rolled her creamy jade orbs. "Goodnight to you too, Mr Happy-happy Sunshine."

With that, Carita walked back inside her room, closing the doors behind her. Carita turned off the lights and got under the covers. But before she lay down to sleep, Carita picked up a small, rectangular, white with painted silver moons and stars jewellery box and wound up the tiny stick at the back. It had been Aunt Elsie's jewellery box when she was a little girl, and she had given it to Carita as a present on her 6th birthday. As Carita lifted the lid and placed the treasured possesion on her beside table, two crystals of different sizes, one carved into a cresent moon, the smaller, a shooting star, spun slowly around in circles as a soft, enchanting melody tinkled out.

Carita lay down and snuggled her head into her pillow as she toyed with the teardrop around her neck. Carita sighed. The melody the jewellery box was playing was the lullaby Aunt Elsie used to sing to get Carita to sleep. Soon Carita fell asleep, thoughts of her great-aunt singing her to sleep playing across her memory.

_Constant as the stars above_

_Always know that you are loved_

_And my love shining in you_

_Will help you make your dreams come true_

_Will help your dreams come true_

As the crystalized cresent moon and shooting star slowly rotated, they softly reflected shimmering patterns of coloured light in the moonlit room. Ocassionally, the shimmering light danced over the Oracle's unique gems, causing them to sparkle.

**Okie-doky, there you have it! The second chapter! Hope you enjoyed it! **

**You/Kai fic fan**


	3. The New School

**Hey guys! Sorry that it's been so long since I last updated, I've been slacking off a lot lately, gosh, I feel so ashamed. Anyway, thanks for all the reviews from the previous chapter, glad you enjoyed it, hopefully you'll like this one too. **

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Beyblade, just my OC's and the stuff you don't recognize from the show. I also don't own the song "Shimmer" by Fuel, but I love it!

**The Gemini's Other Half**

**Chapter Three: The New School**

**2222222**

Carita sighed as she looked in the mirror. It was her first day at her new school. It was an all girls school, and man was their uniform ever so strict-looking. Green jacket, white blouse, red tie, grey pleated skirt that stopped above the knee, white socks and black Mary Janes. Carita heaved another sigh. The students were even made to have the same brown messengers bag, which really sucked. She missed her handmade cotton backpack with the striped colours of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, navy and magenta. And she missed the ability of being able to choose the pale blue blouse or the sky blue polo shirt, which was really the boys uniform. And not to mention the choice of a skirt or pants. And being able to wear the coloured sneakers of ones choice.

"Ok, bottom line. Kara High for Girls sucks." Carita said to her reflection.

There was a tap on her bedroom door.

"Miss Collins?"

"Yes?"

"If you would please make your way downstairs, Frank will drive yourself and Master Kai to school now."

"Ok, thanks Diane!"

Carita quickly tucked her crystal necklace under her blouse and then made her way downstairs.

**222222**

"Hey Kai." Carita greeted the grey-eyed boy as she entered the foyer.

"Hn."

Carita rolled her eyes to herself.

'_Why do I even bother?' _she thought with exasperation.

Carita followed Kai out the front door and down the front steps. Her creamy jade eyes widened to the size of basketballs as she saw Frank standing next to the limo.

"The limo again, Frank?"

Frank smiled. "Yes Carita."

"Frank, is that limo all you're allowed to drive?"

"Tis simply the orders I'm to follow, Carita."

"Well Frank, if that's not gonna change any time soon, I'm going to start taking the bus."

"It's a 10 kilometer walk to the closest bus stop, Carita."

"Well then, at least you can't say I won't be keeping fit!"

Frank laughed as he opened the door for Carita and Kai to get in the back.

"How are you this morning, Master Kai?"

"Hn, fine thank you."

Frank nodded as he shut the door and then got into the drivers seat.

**222222**

"Are you nervous about your new school, Carita?" Frank asked as he looked in the review mirror.

"Well, not as nervous as I was with my first encounter of Master Voltaire." Carita grinned.

Frank chuckled as he continued to drive.

"But, then again, maybe I should be careful…some girls can get pretty fierce."

Frank smiled kindly. "Don't worry Carita, you'll be just fine."

"Thanks Frank."

There was silence as the limo cruised down the street. Carita looked to her right where Kai was sitting. He was as quiet as ever, eyes closed and arms folded. His uniform was the male version of Carita's, green jacket, white shirt, red tie, grey pants and black shoes. Carita noticed that Kai wasn't wearing his blue triangles.

'_Face paint must be a big no-no at school.' _Carita thought.

Suddenly, Kai opened his eyes and they caught Carita's. Carita hastily looked out the window, blushing slightly at being caught staring.

"Well, here we are!" Frank announced as he pulled the limo to a stop in front of both an all boys school and an all girls school.

"Good luck, Carita!"

"Thanks Frank!" Carita said as she stepped out of the limo.

"Good day, Master Kai."

"Hn." Kai replied as he shut the door behind him.

Frank pulled back out into the street and drove off.

"Bye Kai." Carita said as the boy walked off towards his school.

There was no reply. How typical. Carita started to take a step towards her new school, but the sight of the phone booth changed her mind. Carita stepped into the booth and inserted some coins. After slight hesitation, she punched in a number.

"Hi, I'd like to make an international call please…Australia…"

After Carita dialed her great aunt's phone number, it soon picked up.

"Hello?"

"Aunt Elsie?"

"Carita? Is that you?"

"Yes, sorry, I'm not that good with the time difference thing right now, did I wake you?"

"Oh, good heavens, no dear! I was just about to hit the sack, but that can wait. Tell me, how are you?"

"I'm fine, I'm standing in front of my new school."

"Oh, really? What's it like?"

"Aunt Elsie, it's the worst! It's an all girls school, the uniform is really daggy and everyone is made to have the same school bag!"

"Oh…crap."

Carita giggled. It was quite rare to hear her elderly great aunt use language like "crap".

"Aunt Elsie, I don't want to go to a new school, why can't I come home and be with you?"

"That's just the way it is Cara, that's just the way it is." said her aunt's soft voice.

"But it can't be all that bad! There have to be some nice people who work in the mansion."

"Well, I think I met an old friend of yours, do you know a butler named Frank?"

"Frank? Is that dear still working there?"

"Yes."

"Oh, good lord! Carita, send him my love, and tell him I said to stop punishing himself!"

"Yes, Aunt Elsie." Carita laughed.

"Tell me more, love."

"Well, the maid, Diane, she seems nice. But…" Carita frowned as she trailed off, her pale eyebrows knitting together.

"But what, sweetheart?"

"I don't like Voltaire, I don't like the way he talks about you."

"Ha! Oh, if only I were there to give that gasbag a piece of my mind! Don't you worry about him, Carita, he's not a nice man. You be the strong girl you are and show him what us Collins' are made of!"

"Will do, Aunt Elsie!"

Suddenly, a shrill siren rang through the air.

"Oh, that's the bell, I've gotta go!"

"Alright, have a good day, dear! Good luck, and remember, no one can make you feel inferior without your consent."

"Ok, good night, Aunt Elsie, love you!"

Carita hung up and rushed towards the school office.

**222222**

Once at the school office, Carita signed in and got her time table and a map of the school. She was then given directions to her roll call class. When Carita stepped into the classroom, it suddenly went silent. Suddenly, Carita felt two inches tall as the several pairs of eyes stared at her. Mentally, Carita rolled her eyes.

'_Great, why does this always happen on the first day of school?' _

"Oh, you're here!" a short, plump woman wearing glasses that magnified her eyes so that they appeared twice their normal size stood up from her desk.

'_Well, no duh, lady!' _Carita thought sarcastically.

The woman motioned for Carita to enter the room further and she did so.

"Class, this is Carita Collins! She's come here all the way from Australia! I'm sure you'll all do your best to make her feel welcome!" the woman chimed, her way-too-perky persona getting on Carita's nerves.

"What's she doing so far away from home?"

"Yeah, what brought her here?"

Carita cringed slightly. This is what she had been worried about, people asking about why she was so far from home. And Carita wasn't so sure that she wanted to answer. Being the new kid was bad enough, but having her classmates know that she was here because her father died and her life was now placed in the hands of a man that owned one of the biggest international companies in the world? Among the right girls, good gossip spread like wild fire. Carita didn't think she could handle people staring at her and whispering about her behind their hands, it would be all too much right now.

"Well? Are we gonna get an answer or not?" one girl said impatiently.

"Um…I…I…uh…"

"Leave her alone, Tyena."

"No one asked you, Goth!"

"Ooh, how that hurts me so! Look, why don't you go back to the corner? Heard that you could do with an extra cent."

"Why you-"

"Tyena, Malee! That's enough! The both of you can stay back for detention after first period!"

"But-"

"Not another word, Tyena!"

The girl scowled down at her desk. The other however, Malee, didn't seem to care less. As Carita walked past to sit at a free desk, she caught Malee's gaze for a quick moment. And she could've sworn that she saw a ghost of a smile on the girl's face. Carita didn't have time to ponder over it, however, as she looked at her time table and map, trying to figure out where her next class was as the teacher rambled on about the day's morning announcements. Soon enough, the bell rang. And first up for Carita was Science.

'_Oh, hear me whoop for joy!'_ Carita thought sarcastically to herself.

And once she was settled into the classroom along with all the other students, Carita found herself having to put up with yet another introduction.

"Ah, I see that we have a new student with us! Would you like to stand up and tell us about yourself?"

Carita felt the butterflies of anxiety flutter around her stomach as everyone unisonly turned to face her. Slowly, Carita stood up.

"Uh…well, my name is Carita Collins, I'm 15 years old and I come from Australia."

"My, my, my! What are you doing so far from home?"

"Err…"

"'Cuse me, Miss Kuro, but I don't think that's any of your business."

"Huh?" Carita blinked in surprise as she looked around the room, trying to find her savior.

And there she was. At the farthest away desk in the back row, chair tilted up on its two back legs as she leaned against the wall, feet crossed on the desk, was her rescuer in roll call. Malee. The teacher scowled at the girl.

"Have you managed to get yourself any detentions yet, Malee?"

"Yes. One with Mrs Bulgy-eyes at the end of the period."

"Humph. Very well then, you can come back here after that one is finished. And quit leaning on the chair!"

Malee rolled her eyes as she swung her feet off the desk, landing back down with a perfect balance as she kept her arms crossed. As the lesson started, Carita glanced across the room to where Malee was sitting. Suddenly, as if she knew she was being looked at, Malee's head shot up. And her eyes met Carita's.

"Thank you." Carita mouthed.

She figured that it was only fitting, as this girl had gotten herself into trouble twice just for helping her. Malee winked in return and then went back to her work. She had been so quick that Carita couldn't even be sure if Malee had winked in the first place. Confused, Carita went back to her notes.

**222222**

Finally, Science was over. As the bell rang, masses of girls streamed out of their classes, filling up the outside grounds of the school. Carita sighed as she sat on the edge of the huge water fountain feature. She took her Discman out of her bag and plugged the headphones into her ears.

'_Hope there's a CD inside.' _Carita thought as she pressed the "play" button.

_She calls me from the cold_

_Just when I was low_

_Feeling short of stable_

_And all that she intends_

_And all she keeps inside_

_Isn't on the label_

_She says she's ashamed_

_And can she take me for a while?_

_And can I be a friend?_

_We'll forget the past_

_But maybe I'm not able_

_And I break at the bend_

'_Ah, Fuel…just the thing I need to fill up my ears and drown out the girly shriekers.' _Carita thought as she fished through her bag, looking for her time table and map.

_We're here and now_

_But will we ever be again?_

_Cause I have found_

_All that shimmers in this world _

_Is sure to fade_

_Away _

_Again_

'_Damn it! Where's that bloody map! Oh…here it is.'_

Carita unfolded both pieces of paper as her jade eyes darted back and forth between them, trying to figure out her next classroom.

_She dreams a champagne dream_

_Strawberry surprise_

_Pink linen and white paper_

_Lavender and cream_

_Fields of butterflies_

_Reality escapes her_

_She says that love_

_Is for fools who fall behind_

_And I'm somewhere between_

_I never really know_

_A killer from a saviour_

_Til I break at the bend_

'_Let's see…and I've got Maths. Wow, doesn't this day just get better and better?'_ Carita thought sarcastically as she stowed away her map and time table.

_We're here and now_

_But will we ever be again?_

_Cause I have found _

_All that shimmers in this world _

_Is sure to fade _

_Away _

_Again_

Carita turned to her side as she gazed into the clear water. Her reflection blinked back at her. Sighing, Carita reached into the fountain, skimming her fingertips back and forth over the water's surface.

_It's too far away_

_For me to hold_

_It's too far away…_

_It's too far away_

_For me to hold_

_It's too far away…_

_Oh…_

_Yeah, it's too far away_

_For me to hold_

_It's too far away_

_Oh…_

_It's too far away_

_For me to hold_

_Too far away_

_It's too far away _

_For me to hold_

_Too far away_

_Oh…_

_It's too far away_

_For me to hold_

_It's too far away_

Carita hummed the tune of the song under her breath as she let her fingertips continue to glide along the water.

_Guess I'll let it go…_

Carita sighed sadly as she heard the bell ring. Carita turned off her Discman and wrapped her headphones around it before packing it into her bag.

'_Death sentence, here I come.' _Carita thought dully as she headed towards her next classroom.

**222222**

As expected, once she entered the class, Carita had to introduce herself yet again. But this time, there was no question of why she was so far away from where she came. For that, Carita was grateful.

'_Well, it would seem that the people in my Maths class are less nosey than the rest.'_ Carita thought as she wrote down the Maths problems off the board and attempted to solve them. Needless to say, nothing interesting happened during Maths. But after class was a different matter…

"Ah!" Carita cried out in surprise as she bumped into someone, only to fall onto the ground.

"You really should watch where you're going."

"Yeah, no kidding."

Carita shook her head to clear it, then blinked up at the two girls she had bumped into. Both of them were dressed identically. Skirts hitched up too high, blouses unbuttoned to show cleavage and pointed black stilettos. Their faces had just a bit too much make-up and the lip gloss was over-done. The girl standing over Carita with her hands placed accusingly on her hips had shiny, loosely-curled long emerald green hair. Her sparkling citrine eyes were hardened by her glare. This girl Carita recognized from her roll call, the one the teacher had called Tyena.

But the girl with her arms folded over her bust, Carita didn't recognize. She had a more gothic appearance, that could be told from the black eyeshadow, eyeliner and mascara, as well as the black fishnet stockings and the pierced eyebrow. The girl's turquoise blue hair had black highlights and came down to her waist. And her eyes were definitely one of a kind. The right eye was a pale shade of azure, but the left eye was something else. It was white, like a diamond. A black jagged ring surrounded the unique iris, defining it from the rest of the eyeball. Had it not been there, Carita would've thought that all in the sheer white orb was the tiny black pupil.

"You're the new girl." Tyena stated.

"Yeah…" Carita replied slowly as she stood up.

"So…" Tyena narrowed her eyes slightly.

"We saw you getting out of Kai's limo with him this morning." the turquoise-haired girl's voice was sleek as a snake's hiss.

Carita raised a blonde eyebrow. "Your point?"

Suddenly, Tyena pointed at Carita threateningly. "Stay away from Kai! He's mine!"

Carita's green eyes widened as the two girls started to close in on her, forcing her back against a wall.

"Coz if you don't…we'll make sure you regret it. Tyena's friend hissed.

Carita took in a sharp breath as she felt her back hit the bricks. There were no teachers in sight, and no escapes.

"Oi! Why don't you skanks go pick on someone else?"

The two girls turned away from Carita to see whom had spoken. And there she was. Standing close by with a challenging look on her face.

Her dark brown hair flowed down just past her shoulders while her almond-shaped cola eyes glared fiercely. On the right lapel of her green school jacket were three small badges, band-badges to be exact, Blink 182, Grinspoon and Greenday. Her blouse was undone, revealing a black tank top with two different coloured stripes going around the neck, red and white. It had a design of Betty Boop on the front in a white dress, impersonating Marilyn Munroe. On her feet were odd Converse shoes, one black, one purple. The leather belt around her hips was black, with silver studs shaped into stars and she had kept the red school tie to complete her look.

This girl Carita recognized as the one called Malee.

"Humph! How about you butt out, Goth? Go back home to your slut mother!" Tyena hissed.

Malee's expression hardened. "At least my mother has sex to have kids, unlike yours, who's only excuse for sex is to put food on the table."

Tyena gasped then growled. "What did you say to me!"

"Hah, you heard me!"

As the two girls growled and slowly advanced towards Malee, her cola eyes looked over at Carita.

_-Run-_

_-W-what?- _

Carita's eyes widened as she heard a voice inside her head.

_-I've gotten their attention, now run-_

Carita's eyes widened to their full extent and her mouth dropped open as she stared at Malee.

_-You're communicating through our minds! How…-_

_-Not now! Just run!-_

Carita turned and fled.

'_God, first the Oracle and the crystal, then that Tyena girl and her friend warn me off Kai, now someone that's telepathic!' _

Carita sat down under a shady tree once she got to the school's courtyard. She sighed as she withdrew the crystal from under her shirt and gazed down at it.

'_Could there be? Could there really be someone out there…someone out there like me?' _

The crystal gleamed in the light. Carita sighed again as she hid it back under her blouse.

**222222**

As Carita approached her next class, she caught sight of Tyena and her friend lined up outside the same room along with the rest of the students. Not wanting to have another run in with them, Carita turned on her heel and went in another direction. She hadn't ever wagged a class before, but at the moment, she didn't care. All she wanted was to put as much distance as possible between her and Tyena.

Carita walked past the girl's toilets, ignoring the sound of swearing girls and the smell of burning cigarettes. Carita walked through the grassy courtyard until she reached the very end of it, where she was hidden from sight by the trees. Carita dropped her bag down next to a wide tree that had a high hedge on either side, hiding the rest of the tree. Curiously, Carita pushed back the leafy hedge, only to find a fence behind it.

'_Ah, the male and female barrier. Clever. Build a tall fence and them grow a thick hedge on both sides.' _

"Sure, it's clever, but I don't think it'll really do much in the end." Carita muttered to herself as she sat down and leaned against the tree.

Sighing, Carita withdrew the crystal from under her blouse. It seemed to be glittering, as if trying to tell her something. Suddenly, there was a bright flash of light before Carita's eyes. And she saw her Aunt Elsie. Before Carita could do anything, she was plunged into darkness, the image of her great aunt gone. But there was something else in her place. Silence. And icy coldness. Lots of it. Carita shivered. Then there was another sudden flash of light, and Carita found herself back at school.

Blinking, Carita stared down at the crystal as the bright glow faded.

'_What was all that about?' _Carita thought, confused.

Sighing, Carita hid the crystal again.

'_Oh well, guess it'll just come to me sooner or later…' _Carita thought to herself as she ran her hand across the leaves, closing her eyes.

Soon, her fingertips came in contact with something cold and smooth, a metal bar of the fence. As her hand moved to one of the gaps, it came in contact with something else. Carita's jade eyes snapped open. Then she let out a scream.

**222222**

**That chapter could've been longer…oh well! Now you'll just have to wait for my next update! Besides, I couldn't type more if I tried, my wrist is sore, and I'm hungry! I can smell homemade pizza…I'll post the chapter soon! After I get some tucker in me. **

**You/Kai fic fan**


	4. Stranger Meets Stranger

**Hey all! Sorry that I've been slacking off when it comes to updating! Well, here's the 4th chapter! I hope that you all enjoy it! And thanks for all the reviews I got for the previous chapter! **

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Beyblade, only my OC's and everything else that you don't recognize from the anime or manga.

**The Gemini's Other Half**

**Chapter Four: Stranger Meets Stranger**

**222222**

As Carita screamed, she heard a voice let out a cry of surprise. It was a hand that Carita had touched. But its feel had been so cold; Carita thought that the hand belonged to a corpse. Hence the reason she had screamed. But on the contrary, it turned out she had been wrong…

"Would you keep your damn voice down?" the owner of the hand hissed.

Carita could now tell that it was a boy that sat on the other side of the fence.

"I'm sorry; I didn't expect to find someone's hand!" Carita hissed back.

"Well you didn't have to shriek your head off."

"I didn't shriek my head off. And your hand was so cold; I thought it belonged to a dead person."

"It will. One day."

There was a silence. It was half awkward, half comfortable. Then the male voice spoke again.

"Shouldn't goody-goody girls like you be in class?"

"No, not if they feel like a change. And besides, there are girls worse than me. There's these two skanks in my class, and I didn't feel like putting up with them. So, here I am."

"Won't you get in trouble?"

"Won't you for doing the same thing? I reckon it won't matter, no one would notice, since I'm new here. Don't have any friends, either. So no one would care."

"Pfft! Friends, who needs them?"

"Not you, I take it."

"Hn."

Then there was silence again. Carita picked at a blade of grass.

"So, what about you? Why aren't you in class?"

"Sick of the teacher's crap. He pretends to know what he's doing, but in reality, he doesn't have a bloody clue."

"And you feel that you learn more out here, talking to a stranger?"

"Suppose so. I'm left alone at least."

Carita sighed as she withdrew the crystal from her blouse, toying with it between her fingers.

"I want to go home."

"So does every other kid in school."

"No, I mean I really want to go home, to the place where I belong."

"Where's that?"

"Back to my country, with my great-aunt and my friends."

"At least you know where you belong. I don't have a clue when it comes to me."

"Why? Don't your parents love you?"

"I wouldn't know, they died when I was a kid. I live with my grandfather, have been for as long as I can remember."

"Oh, I'm sorry. My dad died only a few days ago. My mother walked out on us when I was five. She never wanted me."

Carita didn't know why she was sharing her secrets with someone she didn't even know. But it felt right. So she brushed aside the wariness and decided to keep talking.

"All I remember about my mother is that she laughed a lot and had a sweet voice. I remember her singing me to sleep once. I think."

"I remember that my mother had long sapphire blue hair and deep rose eyes. Those eyes were poisonous. I didn't know the word "poisonous" when I was five, but I know what it felt like."

"Yeah, I know what you mean. Arsehole."

"Hey!"

"Not you, my grandfather. He's an arsehole, I hate him."

"You shouldn't do that."

"Oh? And why not?"

"Because. Hate only creates more hate, my great-aunt said so."

"Fine, then. My grandfather isn't a nice man."

"Better."

"Now all you have to do is try and change the rest of the world."

"Sounds like such a time consuming goal, think I'll give it a pass."

"Hn."

Carita sighed as she moved the crystal back and forth on its chain.

"I hate the people I live with now."

"Why?"

"Well, they're old family friends, apparently, I never met the people until I moved in. They were given custody of me."

"And that makes them so hate worthy?"

"No. It's just that the old guy says nasty things about my great-aunt, and I swear, she's the nicest lady on the planet! And then there's this guy my age, and he's such a jerk! I try to talk to him, but he never talks back!"

"You shouldn't say that. Hate only creates more hate."

Carita sighed. Her words had been used against her. Damn it!

"Fine, then. I dislike the people I live with because they aren't very nice."

"Hn. Your great-aunt will be proud of you now."

"Yeah…I hope so."

There was silence after that. Carita took one of her books and her pencil case out of her bag. She then started to draw chibi faces with exaggerated expressions, inking in each one carefully before colouring it in. Then the bell rang. Carita put her things in her bag.

"I have to go now. Goodbye, boy behind the fence."

"Hn, goodbye…girl with a frown."

Carita stopped in mid step and lifted a set of fingertips to her mouth. Her creamy jade eyes widened. The boy behind the fence had been right. She was frowning.

"How did you know there was a frown on my face?"

Carita could almost imagine the boy shrugging his shoulders.

"Don't know. Lucky guess."

There was the sound of rustling leaves, followed by footsteps and then quiet. The boy behind the fence was no more. Carita continued to walk, unable to stop all the thoughts from buzzing around inside her head.

**222222**

Soon enough, it was time for Carita to go home. As she walked out of the school gates, Carita saw Kai standing in front of a limo. Waiting for her, most probably.

"Hey, Kai. Sorry if I kept you waiting."

The boy closed his grey eyes as he opened the car door.

"Hn. Whatever, just hurry up and get in."

As Carita placed a foot inside the limo, she felt a chill run down her spine. She looked back towards the school gates, only to see Tyena and her goth-ish friend glaring at her. Carita let out a low groan as she slid into the limo. Why did she have to find enemies already? Kai raised an eyebrow at Carita before looking in the direction of Tyena and co. Saying and doing nothing, Kai slid into the limo himself and shut the door. A moment later, the limo pulled out onto the street and drove off.

Tyena's citrine eyes narrowed dangerously as she watched the limo disappear.

"She's going to pay for that." Tyena hissed.

"You said it." Her friend nodded in agreement.

**222222**

Once Carita reached her room, she dumped her bag on the floor, took the Oracle out from its hiding place and placed it on her desk. Then she walked over to her door, shutting it and locking it. Carita sighed as she sat down at her desk. She could finally relax. Carita removed the crystal from her neck, unlocking the Oracle. She opened the place where the bookmark was, welcomed by the sight of a fresh page. Carita found a green felt-tip pen and began to write about her day.

She wrote about her call to Aunt Elsie, how much she missed her. She wrote about how crap school had been, her encounter with Tyena and her friend. She wrote about Malee, the telepath girl that had saved her so many times. She wrote about that vision that the crystal had given her, how she didn't understand what it meant. And lastly, she wrote about the boy behind the fence.

Carita let out a relieved sigh as she put down her pen. She was finally done! Carita was about to shut the book, but thought better of it and looked at the list of names instead. She let her fingertips travel up and down the page. There were so many names, so many women. Who had been first? Carita pushed her fingertip up the page until it rested on a name.

Danielle O'field. That was the name of the first woman to ever posses the Oracle and crystal. Carita flipped to Danielle's first entry and began to read. The writing was hard to decipher at first, Carita guessed that it had been written in medieval times, but she soon got the hang of it.

Danielle was 16 when she had received the crystal and Oracle. When she was just a baby, an elderly lady found her crying in the fields, that was how Danielle got her family name. The crystal had been around the small baby's neck as she lay on top of the Oracle. The elderly lady took the small baby into her forest cottage and decided to keep the crystal and Oracle away until her 16th birthday. The only thing that Danielle knew about her true parents is that they had named her, the name "Danielle" had been stitched onto the blanket that the elderly lady, Aunt June, had found her in. The poor thing had been an orphan. Carita shivered and hugged her shoulders.

'_I'm lucky…at least I know my roots and who I am.' _

Carita then read on. Danielle's story got more interesting. The crystal had warned her that harm would come Aunt June's way if she didn't leave the cottage through a premonition. So at the crack of dawn, she packed her things, readied the horse and rode off towards the unknown without a trace. About two days later, she reached a small village. She was able to find a place to sleep in the small tavern. But that night, she didn't sleep well. Danielle received another premonition. Those guards of some sort were still after her, she had to keep moving. So Danielle brought some food the next morning and left. From town to town, the same thing would happen to Danielle. It soon became days before the crystal warned her to move, but it was all still the same. But finally, Danielle reached a small farm settlement, and her nightmarish warnings didn't follow. She was taken in by a kind worker and his wife. They had a son, Thom. Danielle described him as, "a handsome young man who has lived to see eighteen moons".

After that, it became clear that Danielle was in love with the guy. After the harvesting season, Danielle and Thom were married. Soon after, Danielle gave birth to a baby girl, Dedra. About this, Danielle wrote, "I vow to the heavens, this baby girl will always have her mother and father. Unlike I, who had no one except a kind aunt who gave me a family name and shelter for sixteen moons". The rest was about the life of raising a young child and being happily married and in love with her husband.

Carita sighed dreamily and smiled. Danielle had been such a strong character, Carita was glad that she had found a happy ending. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Carita nearly jumped out of her skin.

"W-who is it?"

"Just me, Diane. Dinner will be ready soon, you better come down."

"Ok!" Carita called out as she snapped the Oracle shut and stowed it away. She then bounded over to the door and threw it open. Diane raised an eyebrow as she looked the girl up and down.

"You're still dressed in your school uniform."

"Yeah, I noticed too. Is that a bad thing?"

"Well…suppose not."

"Good! I wasn't about to change clothes just to dine with Mr Ancient-High-and-Mighty anyway!"

Diane snickered behind her hand but soon regained her composure.

"Did you need me to show you the way or are you capable of finding the dining room yourself?"

"Uh…guide me in the right direction, pretty please. But I'm getting the hang of this impossible place, I swear!"

Chuckling, Diane turned on her heel and headed for the staircase, Carita right behind her.

**222222**

When she entered the dining room, Carita noticed Voltaire raise an eyebrow and his upper lip curl in a slight sneer as he looked her up and down. She chose to ignore this as she took her seat. Kai wasn't dressed in his school uniform. Well, not completely anyway. He had ditched his jacket and tie for a dark green woolen sweater.

Like the night before, very little conversation was made. Voltaire asked Kai how school was, and Kai replied with as little words as possible. A few other things were said between them, but Carita had no idea what about, as they spoke in Russian. Voltaire did ask how Carita had coped at school and asked her what she thought of the place. Carita responded politely, but not entirely truthfully. She didn't tell him about all the questions, Tyena and her friend, Malee, wagging a lesson or about the boy behind the fence. Those were her secrets to keep. So she could choose who to tell.

After dinner, Carita went back upstairs to her bedroom, showered, dressed and brushed her teeth before going to bed. As she snuggled into the covers and stared into the dark, Carita found that she couldn't get to sleep. She was too anxious, she wanted to read more from the Oracle. She wanted to know Dedra's story. Slowly, Carita sat up in her bed and held the crystal in her palm. It seemed to shimmer in the moonlight.

"Give me the light of the stars." Carita murmured, as if she had known what to say.

Within the blink of an eye, the crystal began to glow, brightly, and stayed that way. Carita stood from her bed and walked over to her bookshelf, letting the crystal's light guide her. She pulled the Oracle from its place and put it on her desk as she sat down. She unlocked it before starting to read. But before she could find Dedra's first entry, something caught her eye.

It was Dedra's name. It would appear as if someone had written in, then fade out, only to be written again, but differently. First was Dedra Thatcher. Then it would be changed to Dedra Greenwoods. Carita's brow crinkled slightly. That was strange. Danielle's name hadn't flashed like that, from maiden name to married name. So why did Dedra's? Or maybe the reason was because Dedra had married twice. It was a possibility.

'_Oh well, guess I'll just read and find out.'_ Carita thought to herself as she found Dedra's first entry and began to read.

Dedra had received the crystal and Oracle on her 13th birthday. She described her first use of it rather humorously. She had been sent to the river to collect a bucket of water, only to run into the village bad lad, Jonty. He had started to corner in on her as he huskily spoke, leaving the poor girl with nowhere to run. It was then that the magic had started. The ground had rumbled beneath Jonty's feet, like as if a giant had rolled over inside the earth. This had set the boy off balance and straight into the river. Dedra wrote that she had never laughed as much in her whole life, but soon went on her way before Jonty came to his senses.

Carita suddenly realized that she was giggling out loud and slapped her hand over her mouth. As she sat in silence, she heard footsteps along the hallway. Carita looked down at her glowing crystal in alarm. What if someone had seen its light shining from under the crack in her door?

"Give me the black of night." Carita whispered hastily.

The crystal stopped glowing immediately, plunging Carita into darkness. Carita sat still, not daring to move as she heard the footsteps draw closer and closer. The footsteps, however, went by Carita's room and into another, Kai's room. Carita started to frown as she heard the sound of soft muttering Russian. What could Voltaire possibly want from Kai at this time of the night? Carita jumped as she heard Voltaire yell out in angry, harsh Russian and the sound of something being broken. And then there was the sound of something else, followed by a few muffled groans, as if someone was trying to keep quiet.

Carita cringed as she listened. Whatever that something was, it sure didn't sound too pleasant. Soon enough, the footsteps left. And there was silence once again. Carita bit down on her bottom lip. She had been here for three days. And she'd never heard something like that while she was here. Should she stay in her room and pretend she never heard it? Or should she go and see if Kai was alright? She was a stranger to all of this. Her father had never argued with her like that…

Carita sighed as she stood up. Her curiosity wasn't going to leave her alone. So she might as well go and check on Kai. Carita stepped out onto her balcony, closing the doors behind her. Then she turned to her left to face Kai's balcony. There was roughly a 50cm gap between the balcony in front of her and the one she was standing on now. She could easily jump over if she did a run up and gave herself a boost in mid jump off the railing. That would be if she just did it and didn't think about it.

Carita chewed the inside of her lip nervously. But what if she slipped on the light frost of ice that had started to form? Carita winced as she screwed her green eyes shut. If only she could just move from one place to another without having to move at all! Suddenly, Carita felt a tingling of some sort wash over her. It started from the top of her head and worked its way down to her toes. When the feeling suddenly left her, Carita opened her eyes. She sighed. Nothing had changed.

'_Wait a minute…I didn't have my curtains closed.' _Carita frowned as she looked at the doors of the balcony.

'_And I didn't have a light on in my room either…'_ Carita blinked as she stared at the french doors with their drawn curtains and blinked again as she looked back at the balcony behind her.

Was it possible…that she had moved from her balcony to Kai's by mere thought? Had she…teleported?

'_Well, there's only one way to find out!' _Carita thought as she placed her hands on the french door handles, ready to see what lay on the other side.

At least, that's what she thought. Carita gasped and her eyes widened in shock at the sight in front of her. Kai was sprawled out over the floor, unmoving. The chair was askew on the floor, one of its legs broken.

"Kai?" Carita called out softly as she walked towards him.

The boy didn't move, or made any sign to show that he heard her. As Carita came closer, she noticed a smashed clock on the floor.

'_That would explain the first thing I heard after Voltaire went psycho.' _

Carita also noticed that the desk lamp was knocked over on Kai's desk along with a few other objects. She felt a chill run down her spine when she saw a few drops of blood smeared on the edge of the desk. Carita leaned down beside the boy on the floor.

"Kai? Are you ok?" Carita asked as she placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.

Slowly, the pair of cold grey eyes opened. Kai had a cut on his lip that was bleeding, and a wound near the corner of his right eye that was bleeding also. Carita bit down on her lip as she stared down at Kai with worried green eyes.

"Oh my god…"

Kai suddenly glared and growled as he pushed Carita's hand away from him.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

"I…I heard all the yelling and…I just wanted to see if you were alright."

"Hn. I'm fine." Kai said as he slowly stood up, leaning on his desk for support.

"Kai…has Voltaire done this to you before? I mean, surely, whatever it was he wanted, he didn't have to beat you up, did he? B-"

Kai suddenly shot Carita a glare so harsh that she shut up immediately.

"You didn't hear anything and you didn't see anything. Got it?"

Kai's tone was so bone-chilling that all Carita could do in reply was nod.

"Hn."

Kai then flicked on the light for his bathroom and shut the door behind him, leaving Carita alone in his room that was dimly lit by only a lamp. Sighing, Carita picked up the chair and put it back in place as best she could, putting the broken chair leg on the desk. She scooped up the broken clock and its strayed pieces in her hands before putting it on the desk and straightening up the lamp and the other fallen objects.

Once she was done with that, Carita looked up at the closed bathroom door. Kai hadn't come out yet and she hadn't heard a peep from him. Carita hesitated for a moment before walking over and carefully opening the door. She saw Kai standing at the sink, leaning forward on it for support. Carita could see that Kai had taken out the first aid kit, but from his reflection in the mirror, she could also see that he hadn't done anything with it. Carita sighed as she walked into the bathroom and picked up the first aid kit.

"Come on, sit down."

Kai let out something between a sigh and a growl before putting down the toilet lid and doing so. Carita sat herself on the edge of the sink and placed her foot at the edge of the toilet for balance as she leaned forward. If Kai felt uncomfortable with Carita's foot between his legs, he didn't show it. With some mumblings from Kai deciphering what was what in the Russian first aid kit, Carita soon cleared up his lip and head.

"Take off your shirt."

Kai, who now had a plaster on his right temple, raised an eyebrow.

"What for?"

"So I can fix your back up."

"It doesn't need fixing."

It was now Carita's turn to raise an eyebrow.

"Oh, really? Does this hurt?" Carita brought her hand around and pressed two fingertips into Kai's back.

He hissed slightly and jerked himself away from Carita's prodding.

"Thought so. Now take off your shirt. Or are you shy?"

Kai growled lowly before he did so.

"Turn around."

Kai rolled his grey eyes slightly before doing so. Carita winced slightly at the sight. She knew from what she had learned in PE back home that what she saw would need compression. And ice. Carita fished a bandage out of the first aid kit and unwrapped it.

"Ok, extend your arms, pretty please."

Kai did so, and Carita coiled the cloth around his torso firmly, but made sure she wouldn't cut off his blood circulation. But what about the ice? Carita looked down at her hand and then at the crystal around her neck.

'_Please, let this work.' _

Carefully, Carita placed the palm of her hand on Kai's back and closed her eyes, concentrating for a moment. Then she opened her eyes and removed her hand. Slowly, what appeared to be a jagged outline of her hand came into view. It was an extremely pale, opalescent blue, almost white colour. Then it disappeared. Kai shuddered lightly.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing…just felt cold for a moment, that's all."

Carita got off the sink and put away the first aid kit. The light was switched off and the two walked out of the bathroom. Kai suddenly groaned and stumbled, falling towards the floor.

"Whoa, careful!"

Carita grabbed one of Kai's arms and slung it around her shoulders and put on of her arms around Kai's waist to help support him. This of course only brought the two closer together and Carita found herself looking into Kai's eyes. Those brilliant, cold, mysterious, grey eyes. They were so alluring…sucking her right in…

Carita blinked and shivered when she realized that she had been leaning in closer towards him. Carita closed her eyes and turned her head away from Kai. It was only then that her eyes could open.

"Come on, let's get you into bed."

"Hn."

Carita could hear the slight sneer in Kai's voice and knew that he must have been smirking.

'_He must've noticed that I nearly kissed him! Oh, crap…' _

Carita let go of Kai once he was at his bed and then walked over to his desk and turned off the lamp. She then walked out his bedroom door and shut it quietly behind her. She looked up and down the hallway. No one was around…

Carita cleared her head completely, thinking of nothing be her bedroom. But this time, she kept her eyes open. Carita felt the strange tingling come over her again and along with it, she saw a white, glittering light envelope her whole body, like a cloud. Suddenly, the tingling feeling and the light disappeared, leaving Carita to find herself on her bed. Carita gasped as she clutched the crystal in the dark. She had done it! She had teleported!

'_Wow…this is unreal! What else can I do?' _Carita thought back.

She could teleport, create light at her own will and do some sort of ice-healing thing. Carita's eyes widened as she remembered what she had seen earlier that day at school, that thing with Aunt Elsie, then the dark and coldness. Had that been a vision? If so…had it been one of the future?

Carita shuddered as she got under the covers and waited for the bed to get warm. If it had been a vision, it sure wasn't a pleasant one. Carita sighed as she closed her eyes. Maybe this would all be clearer in the morning.

**222222**

**Well, that's the end of the chapter! Sorry for taking so long to update, once again! I've been really busy with school work, I've had my half yearly exams for all of my subjects and I've been working on some major assignments to hand in. Fortunately, next week is my last week of school before my two week holidays, thank lordy! So more updates then! Look forward to all your reviews! **

**You/Kai fic fan**


	5. Telepathic Friend

**Hi! I know it's been ages since I've updated this, and for that I am very sorry! Especially you, Moonlight Kitten! So sorry! Well, enough of that from me, I'll get on with it so you can all enjoy the chapter!**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Beyblade, only my OC's and everything else that you don't recognize from the anime or manga. I also don't own the song "Mind's Eye" by Wolfmother.

**The Gemini's Other Half**

**Chapter Five: Telepathic Friend**

**222222**

Carita grumbled slightly as she rubbed her temple out of tiredness and annoyance.

"Wish those two would give it a rest!" the blonde muttered to herself as she tried to ignore the two girls standing in the distance.

It was just Carita's luck that Tyena and her shadow had been standing in front of the school gate when Frank dropped off her and Kai that morning. From the moment she stepped out onto the footpath, Tyena and her follower had given Carita death glares and followed her as she walked into school, watching her every move like a predator on prey. That's what had led up to Carita sitting once again at the large water feature, with the two girls gawking at her in the distance.

"Oh, joy…" Carita groaned as she saw the two girls walk towards her.

"Now they're coming over here…"

Tyena stopped walking once she was directly into front of Carita, towering over the poor girl, her punk-attired friend not far behind. Her citrine eyes gleamed dangerously as she glared.

"I thought I told you to stay away from Kai!"

Carita slowly closed her green eyes, trying to keep calm.

'_Why me…why me…WHY, GOD? Why me?' _Carita sighed.

"You did…"

"Then why didn't you listen? Don't you know what's good for you? Or do you just not know when to quit?"

"Either that or she's trying to steal your man…" the turquoise-haired girl narrowed her eyes into evil slits as she spoke.

Carita scoffed. "As if I would even want to touch anything deemed yours! Besides, I think Kai's smarter to go for someone other than the likes of you."

"**WHAT WAS THAT?**" Tyena screeched.

Carita winced inwardly and refrained from rubbing her sore ears.

"Judging from your reaction, I think you heard me correctly."

"And if you didn't, she's not gonna bother repeating for the likes of you."

Three pairs of surprised eyes turned to the speaker of the new voice, who turned out to be no one other than Malee. Tyena's upper lip curled into a sneer.

"No one asked you, slut!"

Malee's facial expression remained indifferent as she raised an eyebrow.

"Have you been looking in the mirror lately, cheap fuck? Or are you unable to, as it shatters by the repulsive sight of you? And you call me a slut…"

"Why you!" Tyena screeched as she moved forward.

She was stopped, however, by the gothic girl's hand on her shoulder.

"Don't bother, that freak's not worth it."

Malee raised her other eyebrow.

"Me, a freak? Guess you haven't been looking in the mirror lately either, goth."

The azure and diamond eyed girl merely snarled in reply before stalking off in the shadow of her queen bee. Malee then turned her cola eyes onto Carita.

"I see you've been unfortunate enough to be further acquainted with the Queen of Mean and her right hand whore." The girl whose hair seemed to gleam copper in the sun smirked wryly.

"Uh…yeah." Carita sweat-dropped.

The corners of the girl's almond-shaped eyes tilted up slightly as she smiled. She extended her hand.

"I'm Malee Stanhope."

Carita couldn't help but suddenly smile back. It felt as if the heavy bricks weighing down her shoulders had crumbled into dust. Carita reached forward and shook Malee's hand.

"Carita Collins."

"Ah…Carita. Did you know that's an Italian name that means 'beloved'?"

"Well, I do now!"

Malee chuckled slightly.

"Hey, you're in my roll call, right?"

"Uh…yeah."

"Cool. Come on, let's go up to the room and make sure that we grab the back seats first. It'll save us from the teacher's line of fire. She tends to spit with every second word she says."

"…Ew, gross!"

"Ha! That's what I thought when I first found out. It sure was hell nasty…"

Carita giggled as she fell into step with Malee.

"But…Malee Stanhope…they sound like two different names altogether…"

"They are. Malee is a Thai name which means 'jasmine flower' and Stanhope was my grandma's maiden name. she was Irish."

"Wow…so you've got quite a mix in your family."

"Yep! One of my Pop's was English, the other was Chinese."

"Jeez…just about everything under the sun…so does that mean you're an exchange student?"

"Say, you're pretty sharp! I sure am, got a scholarship for dancing. And I'm an Aussie, like yourself!"

"Really?" Carita's green eyes nearly popped out of her sockets in surprise.

"Really-really. That's why I kept on looking out for ya yesterday! Also, I know what it's like to be the new kid with no one familiar."

Carita smiled in her appreciation. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it. 'Sides, us Aussies have to stick together. What part are ya from?"

"New South Wales."

"Cool, same as me. I'm a Central Coast girl."

"Me too!"

"Get out! Too creepy…I'm from Thornway."

"Lakes."

"Just a 20 minute drive away. Imagine that…we lived only 20 minutes away from each other, and we've never met until now."

"Yeah, we've got a lot in common, huh? We even-" Carita cut herself off there. She didn't want to blab too much.

Malee glanced at the silent girl from the corner of her eye.

"Yes, we both have certain, rare 'gifts'."

"Oh…nearly forgot that you were telepathic." Carita said, a tad sheepish.

"Yes, I am telepathic. I'm given the ability to read minds and communicate through thought at will. You, however, I find difficult to place…" Malee gave the girl another glance.

"You're definitely the most powerful I have come across by far."

"Ah, you can't be serious!"

"Oh, but I am. I can sense many talents in you. And your intentions are for good, which is even better."

There was silence once more. Swallowing, Carita hesitated before speaking.

"Malee…are you saying that there are others like us?"

"Oh, many others. But it is hard to tell how many others there are for sure."

"How do you mean?"

"Well, once you learn how, you can feel other auras of those who are gifted. But sometimes, the gifted choose to keep their auras hidden."

"Why?"

"To protect themselves and their families from those gifted that have evil intentions. Sometimes it is those who are evil that hide their auras. Others don't and use that as a warning card. The evil wish to steal our powers for their own selfish reasons. Of course, you have read of this by now."

Carita thought about Danielle's premonitions of the strange guards and nodded.

"Yes, in the Oracle-" Carita's eyes grew wide once more. Drat! There was another thing she let slip!

Malee seemed indifferent as she waved her hand.

"Your Oracle is nothing new, almost every gifted family has something similar. My family has the Annals, which have been passed down from our ancestors of an ancient Irish clan."

"Ah, so you got your gift from your grandmother."

"Yes, my father's side of the family, like yours."

Carita sweat-dropped. "Maybe I should learn how to close my mind…" she sighed.

"Yes, it would be useful. Not just to keep yourself safe from my unintentional nosiness, but from future enemies too."

"Oh…Malee?"

"Yes?"

"This whole thing…it's much bigger than I thought it was, isn't it?"

"Yeah, but don't get your knickers in a knot. As I said, us Aussies have to stick together. I'll help you out."

"Thanks."

"No worries, mate!"

"So, do you know anyone else that's gifted?"

"Yeah. There's this kid that I sometimes baby-sit for. I can sense that he's got something, but I'm not sure what."

"Oh…is it in his family?"

"I'm not sure. I've never sensed it in his mother, met his father once, didn't pick anything up from him, and his sister is that much of a cow around me…she's far too angry and defensive to mentally penetrate. That's the wall she's put up around herself."

"I see…so, how exactly do you go about hiding your aura?"

"Well, for me, I have to practice meditation and concentration. Really, I only hide my aura if I feel a presence trying to get into my head. But with what you have, I think you can use a spell or counter-charm to hide your aura."

"Oh…thanks." Carita fiddled with a lock of blonde hair as she thought.

"You seem to know so much more than me about all of this…"

"Nah, you'll catch up. You've only just been introduced into this new world after all. I started showing signs of having a gift since I was three. Mum didn't like it, but my grandma helped me out. Dad could cope, because he was used to people coming to my grandma for help, she was a psychic, you see."

"Wow."

The two girls then reached their classroom, taking two seats in the back row. They sat there in silence, with Malee listening to her MP3 and Carita finishing off her Maths homework. The bell rang soon after, and chattering girls quickly filled up the room, followed by the teacher. When Carita looked up on impulse, she caught Tyena's citrine glare, from where the emerald-haired girl was sitting two rows down. When she turned to talk to the girl sitting in front of her, Carita shook her head in disbelief.

"What is with that girl?"

"Huh?" Malee blinked as she took an earphone out of its place.

"Oh, that…" Malee rolled her eyes as she saw Tyena reapplying her lip-gloss for the 50th time.

"Tyena Sergei just thinks that she's shit-hot because her mother runs a modeling agency, it's just gone global. And naturally, Vivien just had to make her daughter the face of the company, making her even more insufferable."

"Oh…I take it you don't like Tyena's mother much."

"Hell no! If you think that Tyena's a bitch, you should meet her mother."

"What's she like?"

"Vivien Sergei is nothing more than a shameless, ditzy gold-digger. She fell pregnant and had that little witch-bitch daughter of hers at 15."

"What? Wow, she's a really young mother!"

Malee nodded grimly. "Yep. All it took was a gala party with some of her daddy's work buddies, a drug in the drink of the wealthiest guy's son, a dark room and volia! The instant good life and early retirement."

"How do you know all this?"

"Vivien was called in once as Tyena and I got into a fight. The principal left to fetch Tyena and I was left alone with Vivien. That was all it took. Feel sorry for Mr Sergei. He was forced to marry Vivien to keep the whole thing hush-hush. He's nothing more than his wife's tool."

"How much trouble did you get in?"

"None. If I want to keep my scholarship, I've got to stay clean, so I threatened Vivien that I'd tell Tyena the truth."

"Truth about what?"

"Why she was born." Malee glanced at the said girl.

"In a way, you can't really blame Tyena for the way she is. Her parents, especially her mother, were never really around, so her father spoiled her with possessions to compensate. She got everything except her mother's love. Just like her father, Tyena is nothing more than Vivien's tool."

Carita looked at Tyena. "Does she have any idea…"

"That her mother's using her?" Malee shrugged.

"Probably. But her upbringing doesn't give her any right to treat people like dirt. I've made sure that she knows that."

"Ah. . ."

"But Kana's mother, on the other hand, I have a little more respect for."

"Kana?"

"The right hand whore, Tyena's shadow."

"Oh."

"You see, Marcelle Keaney came from the wrong side of the tracks, so she had to work hard to become a fashion designer. But she fell in love with a rich boy, and got pregnant with his child. But he was planning to propose anyway, so they married for love. That's the main reason why I have a little more respect for Mrs Keaney. She's business partners with Vivien, so Kana's a model too. Exhibits all of her mother's stuff."

"How do you know so much about them?"

"Oh, I have my ways…"

"Right."

Before Carita could question Malee any further, the bell rang, signaling the start of class.

**222222**

Kai sighed silently as he stared at the blackboard with a vacant expression. He hated Chemistry. He just didn't get the point of valencies and polyatomic ions. Seriously, where the hell were those stupid things supposed to get you in life? It was just a waste of his time. Kai reached up to rub his temple, only to hiss slightly and pull his hand back. He had forgotten about the bruise there…

He had removed the plaster that the girl put on last night, as he didn't want to draw attention to himself. His lip had a small scab on it and he had been too lazy to remove the bandage from his torso. Kai suddenly jolted, as if someone had slipped an ice-cube down the back of his shirt. Kai had received that cold, numbing sensation on his back every few hours since last night and truth be told, it was starting to tick him off. Oh well, he could tolerate it. Tyson was worse.

Kai propped his chin up in his hand, being careful to make sure that the action didn't stretch the healing cut on his lip. It was nearly a routine now, him getting bashed by Voltaire. Kai rolled his eyes as he recalled the reason for his grandfather's late night visit. Voltaire had gotten a call from Kai's teacher, saying that he had skipped class for the fifth time that week. Of course, his grandfather became even more cantankerous than usual and had a fit. According to him, no grandson of his would ever skip class, especially the one that was to inherit his company and continue with his plans, should he die with them uncompleted. Kai was a Hiwatari, therefore, he should act like one.

Kai scoffed under his breath. The old fool. Kai had no idea what the girl's dead father was thinking, leaving his daughter with Voltaire. She had heard Voltaire beating him last night, and just saw a sample of what the monster could do, dare anyone defy him. What would happen if…

Kai mentally shuddered and pushed the thought from his mind as he tried to concentrate on his Chemistry teacher. He dare not think about what would happen to the girl should she rattle Voltaire's cage. She was feisty enough, that was clear since her first night at the Hiwatari mansion. As Kai continued to stare up ahead, a boy with vivid red hair leaned over to mutter in his ear.

"Let me guess, is the reason behind your appearance the 'I-fell-downstairs-but-I-really-didn't-fall-downstairs' story?"

Kai merely rolled his grey eyes.

"Go jump off a cliff, Tala."

The icy-eyed boy snickered before returning to his serious demeanor.

"Voltaire beat you again?"

Kai's reply was a curt nod.

"What was it about this time?"

"Same as the last."

"Ooh, naughty Kai, playing hooky, eh?"

"You know Tala, that pen on your desk looks very sharp and I'm quite tempted to jam it up your nostril."

"Ouch."

"…"

Tala sighed as he flicked a red lock of hair out of his vision.

"Look, what are you doing after school?"

"Nothing…"

"Did you wanna come over? We could use come practice for our music assessment."

Kai gave a halfhearted shrug, which Tala took for a yes.

"Looks like you'll be stuck with me on the bus home, then."

"Oh, joy…"

As the remainder of the lesson was drowned out by Kai going off into his own world, he felt something inside him relax. Voltaire didn't have any work to attend to outside of the mansion walls, so that meant Kai had less of a chance than usual to stay away from him. Tala wasn't what Kai would ever call a friend, but he came pretty close, and he was easier to tolerate than most. Tala knew of the rocky relationship between grandfather and grandson and knew that by inviting Kai over, he was giving the boy an escape. It was his way of helping him out. Both of them knew this and both of them never spoke of it. But both knew without words being said that Kai was grateful.

**222222**

Carita sighed with relief. She had asked the teacher for a toilet pass in the middle of the lesson. She could feel Tyena's angry, smoldering gaze burning holes through the back of her head since she took her seat in class. The blonde scowled at herself. It wasn't like her to run from her problems, but she just couldn't help it. She didn't like getting too much attention, whether it was positive or negative. It made her nervous. At the current time, Carita was wandering around her prestigious school, anything to procrastinate going back to class.

Suddenly, Carita halted as her ears picked up a sound. Was that…music? Having now been bitten by the curiosity bug, Carita followed the noise, only to find the large school hall. Seeing as the door wasn't completely shut, Carita decided to take a peek. The room was empty, except for the girl in front of the stage who was clad in a black singlet and cotton trackpants of the same colour. The girl was hunched over something, which Carita soon recognized as a CD player. The girl soon finished pushing the buttons and turned to take her place on the floor. It was Malee. She didn't notice Carita at all, she was far too focused. Then the music started.

The first sounds were of an electric guitar, light and faint, it reminded Carita of someone playing a single-string riff. The slow, steady beat of the drums soon accompanied it, only to have a second electric guitar follow, this time the sound being stronger, scratchier, the same chord being strummed over and over. All the time, Malee had been dancing, her movements slow and graceful. It reminded Carita of ballet, but it was different. So much more different. The observing girl couldn't help falling into a trance as the lyrics started.

_When the time is right_

_And the night is bright_

_We will see the things_

_We've come to find_

_I've been searching for _

_Just a little more_

_But the days, girl_

_Just slip away…oh, yeah_

_And the red sunset _

_That we just met, girl_

_I can see forever…yeah, yeah…oh_

_Oh, yeah_

When the drums started pounding and became fast-paced, so did Malee's dancing, with leaps and spins. The drums and guitar were joined by what sounded like an organ.

_Come and see the mind's eye_

_We can find it if we try_

_Come and see the mind's eye_

_Transfixed upon the why_

_Come and see the mind's eye_

_We can find it if we try_

Malee's dance slowed as the music did. She was completely in tune with it. She danced of something Carita could understand completely but couldn't find the words to explain. It was like…dare she say it…magic.

_Well, they say it's right_

_If it feels alright_

_When your love burns_

_Up in the mire_

_So I burnt a fire_

_For a lost desire_

_See it burning higher…yeah, oh_

As the organs and drums started up again, so did Malee's nearly frantic movements.

_Come and see the mind's eye_

_We can find it if we try_

_Come and see the mind's eye_

_Transfixed upon the why_

_Come and see the mind's eye_

_We can find it if we try…oh, yeah_

As the fast organ solo started, Malee spun in a surprisingly straight like at the same pace of the music. When the guitar joined in, Malee incorporated some rigid poses. And when the drums pounded, loud and vibrant, Malee let her body flow with its rhythm. Her dance became wild and free, and Carita couldn't help being hypnotized by it. No wonder Malee had been given a scholarship for dancing!

_Come and see the mind's eye_

_We can find it if we try_

_Come and see the mind's eye_

_Transfixed upon the why_

_The mind's eye_

_Right now!_

_Come and see the mind's eye_

_We can find it if we try_

_Come and see the mind's eye_

_We can find it if we try…oh, yeah_

Once the music ended, Malee stopped, her head bowed, shoulders rising and falling from the deep breaths she inhaled. Her head snapped up, however, when Carita started clapping. She blinked as she watched the blonde girl walk towards her, grinning.

"That was amazing!"

"Thank you. I didn't realize anyone was watching." Malee said as she walked towards the CD player to switch off the new song blaring out of the speakers. Apparently, it appeared to be a Wolfmother album.

"It's really interesting…to see that kind of dancing combined with rock music."

"What can I say? Different is my genre." Malee now popped open her water bottle and chugged down its contents.

"Did you make up the dance yourself?"

"Yep. I choreograph the dance and choose the music. It's all up to me."

"So…you don't have a teacher?"

"Nope."

"Then…how does you getting a scholarship for dancing here work out?"

"There's a director from a really elite dance company that comes down to watch me perform twice a fortnight. The woman's got a lot of experience under her belt and practically has 'Bitch' stamped across her forehead. So I have to make sure that whatever I compose is bloody good. And it has to be different with every trip she makes."

Carita let out a low whistle. "Sounds like hard work."

"Yeah, but that's why I love it."

When Carita's brow crinkled in confusion, Malee elaborated.

"My mother always said to me, 'why do you dance? It's a waste of time, it won't keep a roof over your head or put food in your mouth'. And I always said, 'I don't give a damn what you think'. I dance because I get to control what I do. I get to express myself by just dancing how I feel, it gives me freedom. No one can judge me. It's just me, the music and the dancefloor. Nothing and no one else. That's why I dance."

Malee tugged on her skirt before pulling off her trackpants and changing into her Converse sneakers. Carita smiled.

"So, what will you do after this?"

"Well, if the old bat deems me successful, then that leaves me open to apply for any dance place I choose. The sky is the limit."

"Have you got any options in mind?"

"Well, I wouldn't mind going back to our sunburnt country. I haven't been there for nearly over a year now. I'd like to go back and catch up with my mates, see what's changed, see what hasn't changed. Traveling further across Europe is appealing too, maybe America…there's just so many options."

Malee yanked her singlet top over her head, showing off her crimson-red bra before pulling on her school blouse, buttoning it up. Carita fidgeted and blushed slightly, averting her eyes.

"Don't be shy, mate. Can't be anything on me that you haven't seen before."

"Er…so, how long have you got left with your scholarship?"

"'Bout a month or two. I'll probably go back to Australia. Take an Entertainment course at TAFE. There's a friend I want to catch up with."

The unintentional caressing tone the girl used caught Carita's attention, and she got the feeling that there was more to this "friend" of Malee's. But she decided to suppress her curiosity and save it for another time. As Malee got the rest of her things together, she took a peek at one of the clocks on the wall.

"You better get back to class. The bell's gonna ring in 5 minutes."

"Oh, right…well, see you later."

"See ya."

**222222**

Needless to say, Carita was shocked when Kai walked up to her after school and actually spoke to her on his own accord, without her having to open her mouth first.

"I'm not going to the mansion this afternoon."

"Ok…and you're telling me bec-"

"If Voltaire asks, just tell him that I'm with a classmate to work on an assignment."

"Ok…"

Without another word, Kai turned on his heel and walked towards a redheaded boy with piercing blue eyes. Carita watched the two get onto a bus before feeling someone watching her. She turned towards the school gates, only to see Tyena and Kana watching her. The blonde groaned to herself before turning back around, only to see Frank holding open the limo door for her. Carita's face broke out into a genuine grin, never so happy to see the butler in her life.

"Perfect timing." Carita commented thankfully as she slid into her seat.

Frank smiled and bowed politely.

"I try my best." He said as he shut the door and walked around to the drivers seat.

The glaring citrine eyes narrowed dangerously as she watched the limo drive away.

"Kai goes to Tala's, and yet she still hitches his ride…"

Kana's lips pressed together in a thin line.

"I have a feeling that there's more to this than what meets the eye."

"Yeah, the girl's new here, and from a different country. There's no way she could get Kai interested in her so fast."

"True…"

Tyena looked at Kana. "Your dad has close connections with Voltaire Hiwatari at the moment."

"I know."

"I say we go to your house and take a quick look through some files."

Kana smirked. She knew Tyena. The new face of mummy's modeling company only got like this when she felt threatened. And when Tyena felt threatened, that meant fun. Entertainment and amusement. Not to mention suffering for the one that stood on the emerald-haired girl's way.

"You feel like playing detective?"

"Yep. I wanna know what the deal is with this new girl."

**222222**

Carita let out a sigh as she sealed the envelope and wrote her new address on the back before putting it into her school bag. It was a letter for her Aunt Elsie. Since she didn't have enough money to call her from a payphone everyday, she wrote letters. Aunt Elsie couldn't always write back because of her arthritis, but she did call the moment she got the letter, and the two went on for hours and hours. Carita smiled nostalgically to herself. She missed her dear aunt greatly. It sure was different, being half a world apart, as opposed to being able to see her every day. Sighing, Carita pushed the thought to the back of her mind and took out her algebra homework. When she finished that, Carita wrote another entry in the Oracle before reading the rest of Dedra's writings.

They were mostly about new powers that she had discovered, life in the village and its celebrations, trouble with crops during the winter, the list went on. Carita found it interesting. It was as if she was right there, watching Dedra grow up before her very eyes. And of course, there was the significance of Dedra falling in love. The green eyes of William Thatcher had captured Dedra's soul at the festival to celebrate the beginning of the harvesting season when she had turned 16 moons old. After a while, they grew close. Two moons later, William confessed his love for Dedra and kissed her right where they lay, in the loft of the barn, among the hay stacks. They were married in the church the next day. And in the season which Carita guessed was their summer, Dedra gave birth to a baby girl. Everyone said that the baby looked just like her mother, except for the blonde hair and green eyes that belonged to the father. Dedra had happily written: _"I could not have anymore joy in my heart. I now have that of what I always desired. The love and happiness that Mother and Father shared with one another." _

But it turned out that fate had cruel plans. Just after their daughter had turned 4 moons old, William had gone out during a horrid storm in the coldest of winters to fetch some firewood. There had been an accident of some kind and William had died. Carita actually found herself wiping away a tear or two as she read the somber entry. The poor woman sounded so heartbroken. . .

"_The cold days and nights become harder and more unbearable to face in this winter without William by my side…"_

"_Alas, I mustn't perish this bleak season. My little one has already lost her father. I can not let her lose her mother too. She is the only one that gives me hope now days…"_

Then the season of rebirth came, spring. Enter Jonathon Greenwoods. Apparently, he was a good man that her parents trusted and could provide support for Dedra and her daughter. So, Dedra meekly gave into her parents' wishes and Jonathon's. She halfheartedly married him. Dedra still loved William, she vowed she could not love another. Yet, Mr Greenwoods was a good man and promised to take care of her. After the wedding, entries became far and few in between. Then they just cut off completely. Carita frowned, brow knitted together. What happened there?

Carita shrugged, flipping back to the name list to see who was next. When she read the name under Dedra's, Carita blanched, face pale and eyes wide. As she read the name again, several times, her hands began to shake. There was no way…and yet it was true. The next one on the list to read about was no other than Carita herself.

**222222**

**Ooh, cliff-hanger! Sorry, I know that after taking so long to update, I really shouldn't have, but still, I like to keep you guys on your toes! Sorry if my bit on describing dance and music wasn't too crash-hot, but I'm no musician, I just worship the good ones! Please review and let me know what you thought! Pro-honesty here, people!**

**You/Kai fic fan**


	6. Namesake

**Hey! I've gotten right back into this story again and have a chock-full of ideas for it, so I'd thought I'd treat you all to another chapter! Thanks to all of you that read and reviewed the last one, hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Beyblade, only my OC's and everything else that you don't recognize from the anime or manga.

**The Gemini's Other Half**

**Chapter Six: Namesake **

**222222**

Caritalina Ritter.

Ok, so it wasn't her name exactly, but there was no denying the resemblance of the first name. Perhaps Caritalina was her namesake or her identity in a past life? Shakily, Carita reached up to touch her pendant, the crystal. She gasped, body going rigid as a blinding light flashed before her eyes. It was a vision that lasted for less than a minute.

The bright light was still there, but there was a girl as well. She wore a dress of medieval times, possibly for the winter, the dull, dark green wool looked thick, as did the hooded cloak on her shoulders. And Carita couldn't deny that it was the splitting image of herself. Perhaps this girl was a few years older, but the long blonde hair and creamy jade eyes were exactly the same.

Carita gasped as she saw a flash again. Then she was back in her room. The girl breathed in and out deeply as she gripped her desk. This was unreal. Before she could decide whether or not to start reading Caritalina's entries, Carita was distracted by the sound of Kai going into his room. She glanced at the clock. It was nearly 10 o'clock. Did Kai really only get home just then? Would Voltaire be happy about that? Carita's eyes rose to the ceiling as she thought back.

**#Flashback#**

Carita had just entered the house, glad to be back from school. Just as she was about to walk up the last flight of stairs that would lead her to her room, a voice called her.

"Carita…" Voltaire drawled.

Carita slowly stopped before turning around and walking back to the open doorway.

"Yes, sir?"

"Where is my grandson?"

"He's at a classmate's house to work on an assignment, sir."

Voltaire stayed as he was, staring out the floor-to-ceiling window with his hands clasped behind his back.

"Really? Is that so…"

The girl said nothing as she felt her insides tense up. Somehow, she just knew that this was not going to go down well when Kai came back. She must've zoned out for a while, because the next thing Carita knew, she was being dismissed.

"That will be all. You may go, Carita."

**#End Flashback#**

Sure enough, a few minutes later, Carita was brought back to the present by the sound of Voltaire and Kai arguing in Russian. The shouts increased in volume before dying down. Then the sound of Voltaire stalking out the room and down the stairs was heard. After debating with herself for moments on end, Carita rose from her chair and exited her room only to knock on Kai's door.

"Who is it?" the usual cold tone had on edge to it.

"It's me." Carita replied.

When no answer came, Carita slowly opened the door, walked in and softly shut it behind her. Kai was sitting on a couch adjacent to the french doors of his balcony, fiddling with the tuners of his electric guitar.

"I never said that you could come in." the boy stated flatly.

"You never said that I couldn't, either." Carita countered.

If Kai was to look up then, Carita swore that she would've seen him rolling his grey eyes. Awkwardly, the girl walked further into the room.

"So…are you ok?"

"None of your business."

Carita blinked and jumped back slightly.

"Touché…"

"Look, if you've got no reason to be here, then get out. I don't have time for the likes of you."

Carita sighed, pretending to seem immune to Kai's harsh words (she was only slightly stung) as she trailed a fingertip along the edge of his desk. The broken chair had been replaced, along with the alarm clock and the smears of blood were gone.

"No, I do have a reason to be here. I wouldn't waste my time for nothing." Carita plonked herself down next to Kai.

"Put that thing down and take your shirt off."

Kai's hands seemed to freeze in mid-strum. Slowly, he turned his face towards Carita.

"…what?"

"I said, put that thing down and take your shirt off. Who else is going to check your injured back?"

Kai grumbled slightly before doing what she said. As Kai turned his back to her, Carita caught sight of the pale blue imprint she had bestowed the night before.

'_Right, suppose I should get rid of that…'_

Hesitantly, Carita put a hand flat against Kai's back. What was she supposed to do to get rid of it? Carita exhaled before pressing her mouth into a straight line and concentrating like she did last night. The only difference was that this time, when she removed her hand, the jagged, opalescent outline was peach-coloured. Once it faded from sight, Carita proceeded to unwrap the bandage. She pressed her lips together as she observed the sight before her, rolling the bandage back up.

"Hmm…not too bad." Carita stood and headed for Kai's bathroom.

"I'll just put on some of that ointment stuff on it and you should be ok for the night."

Carita soon reappeared, the said bottle in her hand. She carefully applied it to Kai's back and temple. As she twisted the cap back on, she couldn't help but to notice the smirk on Kai's face.

"What are you laughing at?"

"I see that you've refrained from almost kissing me this time."

Carita felt herself freeze. She honestly didn't know how to react to that one. As she frantically racked her brain for a comeback, Carita saw Kai's smirking lips twitch, as if he were trying to keep himself from grinning in triumph.

"What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?" the boy's dull voice held a sliver of taunting.

Carita scowled at him before turning towards the bathroom again.

"No. And I wasn't going to kiss you last time."

"Oh, really? Pray do tell, what were you doing, then?"

"I was trying to see if there was anything in your eyes that would be able to tell me why someone like yourself, who acts so tough, would be weak enough to let an old man beat him around."

Even without looking, Carita knew that Kai was no longer smirking. The close-to-inaudible, guttural growl she picked up as she went to return the ointment told her that Kai was ticked off, her words had undoubtedly hit a nerve. Perhaps she had been harsh, yes, but her damn pride just wouldn't let her sit pretty and not retaliate. When Carita left the room, Kai was back to fiddling with his guitar. He didn't even bother to acknowledge the girl, but hey, since when is that different?

Carita sighed once she was back at her desk and pushed her blonde hair back behind her ears. She really shouldn't have said that, but…what's done is done. Slowly, a fingertip skimmed down the edge of the book, as she tried to come to a decision. Without another thought, she quickly flipped over Danielle and Dedra's entries, only stopping at Caritalina's first one. Heart racing, she leaned forward to read.

"_My name is Caritalina Thatcher. I am sixteen summers old. However, the one thing I refuse to be acknowledged as is a witch."_

Carita's heart plummeted down into her gut. Was she reading of the time when the first witch trials started?

"_The man who is my mother's husband is not my father. I refuse to call him anything except for Jonathon or sir. He knows this. And he loathes me for it, as it would seem. Jonathon is the father of my little brother, Tristan. He will be ten, come the season that turns the leaves yellow and red and makes them fall to the ground. Jonathon is a horrible man. My mother's willful spirit has been lost to him, now she is a silent, submissive woman with nothing to say. And I know that Tristan is no clumsy oaf, those bruises I have salvaged are not from the hooves of horses."_

Carita's brow furrowed as she frowned. Was Dedra's second husband the reason behind her lack of writings in the Oracle?

"_He has done nothing to me, but I do catch his cold eyes on an occasion. He does not stare at me with lust, like the farm boys over pretty maids. No, it is like a smoldering fire. He despises me, I know it. That stare tells me what he is thinking, your time will come, girl, mark my words…your time will come."_

Carita shivered. What was the meaning of all this? Why was Caritalina called a witch?

"_Once he wed my mother, Jonathon took us away to another village. One far away from Grandmother and Grandfather. I doubt we will ever see them again. Whenever I go to the markets, or to fetch water from the well, I hear their whispers. Because of my green eyes, these fools think that I am not of this place. No one in this village has ever heard of green eyes, or seen them before I came. This be their reason for thinking of me as a witch. I do not care. I am proud. I have pride of my father's green eyes. They were filled with joy when he laughed, they looked at Mother and I with such love and kindness. I am not ashamed of my green eyes. I refuse to be so."_

Carita snorted. Some people sure had some ludicrous beliefs back in the day…green eyes classified you as a witch…what a joke! But still…how did Caritalina come across the Oracle? As she read on, Carita got her answer.

"_I came across this book, Oracle, whilst sweeping away the ashes from the fire. It was odd…Tristan did mention seeing Jonathon throw what appeared to be a book into the fire, while Mother looked on with tears in her eyes, yet did not speak one word. But if that is so…why does this book appear to be untouched by a single flame…no pages are black, it does not even smell of smoke. No, instead, it smells of something long forgotten. It smells of home, the one we used to share with Father…"_

Carita sighed as a dull pang reverberated in her chest, a ghost of a nostalgic smile flitting across her lips. She knew what it was like to lose a father, one that you loved dearly.

"_I can not help but wonder…even though this book opens at my touch, eerily enough, there is a lock on the clasp…what happened to the key?" _

The crystal? Dedra hadn't given Caritalina the crystal? Why? Did Jonathon try to get rid of it too? Instinctively, Carita reached up to touch the jewel around her neck. Immediately, she gasped. It was happening again! There was a flash before her eyes, then a picture came into focus. It rippled softly, as if the image was being projected onto water. It was all different shades of brown, as if the colours had faded long ago.

A woman sat at a wooden table by candlelight, writing with a quill and ink. She was hunched over a book, and Carita could tell from reading the first line that she was seeing Caritalina. The picture then suddenly switched to what was behind her. From the crack in her door, someone was watching…

Carita gasped again as another flash appeared before her eyes, bringing her back into reality. Carita scrunched up the material of her school skirt in an attempt to stop her hands from shaking. Had that person in the doorway been Jonathon? Carita bit her lip as she pushed her hair back again. She had to at least finish reading this first entry.

"_I have written my name under my mother's, like she did hers. I must be in need of good rest, as I could swear on my soul that I have seen Mother's name change…but never the matter. I have not read the writings of my mother or grandmother, for I am not sure if I should. I am, however, going to hide this book in my wooden chest, the one that belonged to Father. There is a hiding place built in the lid, perfect for safe-keeping against prying eyes… Speaking of Jonathon, I believe he is finally home. I hear his stagger, he has been drinking, yet again. Poor Mother…everyone knows that he beds those ladies of the night down at that ghastly tavern…but she holds far too much fear to speak." _

Carita sighed. Poor Dedra, fate truly was cruel to her after all. The jade-eyed girl couldn't even begin to imagine what it would've been like in those times, living in that kind of environment with an unfaithful, violent husband. These days, there was help for that kind of stuff, like divorce, restraining orders, counseling and whatnot. The girl shuddered. It was complete boofheads like Jonathon that could really turn her off men for a while…and fuel her to run just about a billion feminist campaigns if she wanted to.

Carita smoothed her hair back once more before flicking over to the next page. Well…whatdiya know? Carita raised a blonde eyebrow.

"Interesting…"

"_Good heavens…I am not sure what to think of this. Alas, it is most odd…I was about to write in the Oracle at noon, when Mother arrived home from the baker, bread basket in hand. Her face turned as white as the snow when she saw me…" _

This time, Carita didn't even have to touch the crystal. And no matter how frequently it had happened now, she couldn't hold back her gasp at that blinding flash of light. It had succeeded in surprising her every time, and it would probably continue to do so. This time, when she saw the vision, it was like she was part of the scene, in the very room itself.

She saw her namesake sitting at a wooden table, sunlight aplenty shone through the open shutters, illuminating the picturesque room. The teenage girl sighed as she pushed her hair back before uncorking what must've been her ink well and dipping her quill in. The feather was plain and black, probably that of a crow. But before she could touch quill to Oracle, the door swung open, revealing a woman that appeared to be in her early thirties.

She wore a dull brown dress, her honey-brown locks most-likely pulled into a bun beneath her white cap. Lines of worry had started to etch their way onto her face and her aquamarine-blue eyes that had undoubtedly once sparkled with mirth were creepily lifeless. Even without looking at the simple basket with a cheese cloth draped over it, Carita knew that this was Dedra. She was pretty, her daughter undoubtedly shared her soft, gentle features. And as Caritalina was her past identity, with a spine-tingling thought, Carita realized that she bore some resemblance to this woman as well.

Indeed, as Dedra looked from her daughter to the book in front of her, the skin of her face became ashen.

"Caritalina…"

"Mother…?"

The basket fell from Dedra's hands to the floor.

"The Oracle…where in the name of Heaven…how?"

"I…I uncovered it in the fireplace. Mother, what troubles you so? Why did Jonathon try to burn it?"

"Jonathon…he will be here for his meal…oh, good heavens!"

Dedra rushed forward, grabbing her daughter's hands. Caritalina had placed down her quill long ago.

"Mother? Mother, whatever is the matter?"

"Oh, child, you should've left it there!"

"But why? It is of great value to you. Why must Jonathon burn it? Father never – "

"Dear child, William is not like that wretched man!"

"Mother!"

Dedra said nothing as she slammed the book shut and pressed it into her daughter's chest.

"Hide it! Keep it out of his sight always, hurry now, before he returns!"

"But Mother – "

"Go! Hurry!"

Caritalina pulled a face of confusion, but did as she was asked, clearing away her ink well and quill while she was at it. In her daughter's absence, Dedra picked up the bread basket and set it on the table, before wandering over to the fireplace. Carefully, she picked up a metal hook, looking around warily, as if to check for prying eyes. When she found none, Dedra carefully dragged a stone halfway out of place before reaching into the hollow and withdrawing a pebble. But…how could it be a pebble? No pebble looked like glass and sparkled like that! Unless…

Dedra slid the stone back in place and tapped it firmly with the hook to make sure it would remain there. Then she returned the tool to its place before clasping both fists around the unique pebble and closing her eyes. Carita didn't understand the murmured words that left the woman, but she guessed that it was most probably in Latin. It was medieval times after all, the period after the fall of the Roman Empire, so Latin would've been a spoken and written language still, wouldn't it? Even though this time frame looked to be at least two hundred years after the Romans…but that was irrelevant.

When Dedra opened her eyes and unclasped her hands, the crystal dangled from her fingertips on a silver chain, causing speckles of light to dance over the walls.

"Mother?"

Dedra's head snapped up, her stance relaxing slightly at the sight of her daughter. She strode over to the blonde quickly, pressing the precious gem into the albeit bewildered girl's palm.

"Wear this at all times, but for the sake of your soul, hide it beneath your clothes and let no eyes see it!"

"But why? Mother – "

"Child, just do as I say, obey me, I beg you! Let no soul know of the crystal or Oracle, especially Jonathon!"

"But Mother…are we truly – " Caritalina was trembling now.

"Good gracious child! Heaven forbid, we are not witches!" Dedra hissed in a whisper, as not to be heard.

"Then what – "

"Read what your grandmother and I have written. The Oracle will answer all your questions!"

"But Mother – "

"Hush, child! I can tell you no more!"

As if on cue, the sound of a horse and cart echoed outside.

"Dedra!" a gruff male voice bellowed.

The woman sighed, looking tired.

"Tristan and his father have arrived…I best go greet him. Pay heed to my warning, Caritalina! We dare not feign ignorance, for we all know what happened to Mary last full moon! And I'll be damned if that same fate awaits for you!"

Caritalina shuddered and uttered a small prayer before Jonathon was heard bellowing again. As her mother retreated, Caritalina put on the crystal, making sure to slip it under her dress as her mother instructed.

The bright flash appeared again, and Carita was back in reality. As she read over that entry, Carita shuddered herself. The name 'Mary' wasn't mentioned by her namesake, but there was no doubt about what Dedra had meant. That Mary character had been one of the innocent girls sentenced to death by means of a witch trial. As Carita read on, she came across a rather heart-wrenching entry.

"_I can not believe this! The pure cruelty of it all! Rylee, the gentlest soul I have ever met, has been sentenced to death in a witch trial! This is madness! She is not even of this country, a harmless traveler! But that is reason enough to deem her a witch, so say these fools! The fury from this outrage consumes me so…it is frightening. It pains me…she was just a lodger in one of the taverns' rooms, only passing through the village. She was so kind…she sung Gaelic songs to entertain the people in the tavern, the lullabies of her origin to do the same for the little ones…oh, I could whip them raw! All of them! She was the only one in this place besides my mother and brother who didn't think I was a witch because of my green eyes! She laughed when I told her of this. She told me that to think such things was truly foolish. She told me that her mother and father had green eyes too, but that they were darker than mine, like the colour of moss. Her eyes are brown, the colour of rich honey. I can not believe it…this terrible thing. Rylee is such a kind soul…why must she endure such a ghastly fate?"_

Carita's body jerked in a shudder as she turned the page. The next entry, if anything, was more dark and morbid than the last.

_Rylee's witch trial was today. Tristan begged Mother to let him go, but she refused. He was made to stay home and tend to the horses. He didn't know that it was Rylee…not until I came home. Tristan does not understand…such horrors should not be seen by the eyes of innocent children. It was a horrid sight that my heart can never heal from. She stood naked in the gallows, noose around her neck. Those monsters cut off her hair, so her head resembled a newborn babe's. Those pretty tresses of brown hair that turned red in the sun…gone! She showed no fear as she looked out to the crowds of people throwing rotten food and shouting. But when her eyes caught mine, she smiled. I felt as frozen as the winter when the stool was kicked out from beneath her feet. And when they started to whip her back, it was only after the sixth lashing that she made a noise. It was barbaric, the way they treated her as some wretched animal. For every cry of despair that left her, they cheered, and for each of those, a tear left my eyes. Soon enough, I turned away and headed home. I felt nothing as the villagers voices faded from my ears. Tristan was…he looked to be scared of me. I can not blame him. I have never cursed before…" _

The next thing she knew, Carita was being pulled into another vision. Why was this happening more often, just now? Did it have something to do with her and Caritalina being spiritually linked?

_Slowly, a blonde girl in a cloak made her way towards the small stable. Her face had lost all its colour, her eyes red from crying. She appeared to be in a state of shock as she sank down onto a stack of hay. Her blank green eyes just stared out into space as her long blonde hair fluttered in the breeze. The sound of a creaking wheel met Carita's ears, and a skinny boy soon appeared, pushing what looked like the first ever wheelbarrow in front of him. _

_He shook his messy black-coffee hair out of his eyes as he drew nearer, squinting. When he saw Caritalina, he grinned, showing that he was missing a tooth. The boy had a plethora of freckles dotted over his nose and cheeks and the same eyes as Dedra. It could only be Tristan._

"_Hullo, sister! Is the trial done already?" Tristan placed the wheelbarrow next to the stable and came to stand beside Caritalina._

"_Sister? Is something wrong?" _

_The distraught girl just seemed to snap then. A strangled cry tore from her throat as tears cascaded down her face, fists clenched and pounding down on the hay. _

"_Damn them! God damn them all to Hell!" _

_The boy's face paled greatly as his eyes came close to bugging right out of his head. _

"_S-sister? What is the matter? Why do you cry?" _

_Caritalina just wailed before hiding her face in her hands, continuing to sob into them. _

"_R-Rylee…oh, Rylee…" _

_The boy's mouth fell open in shock. With shaky legs, Tristan sat down next to his sister. _

"_Sister…was Rylee the one hanged for witchcraft?"_

_Hiccupping, the blonde nodded, her face still in her hands. Almost trancelike, Tristan hugged his sister and rested his head on her arm. _

"_But…no, that can not be! Rylee…she was just a traveler, she sang songs…told us Celtic tales…why?" _

_Finally, Caritalina raised her head, wiping her tears away as she sniffed. She placed an arm around her brother, hiccups fading. _

"_I do not know...Jonathon or Mother would tell you that Rylee was punished by God's bidding…but I do not know." _

"…_Sister, was it…awful?" _

"_It was unbearable." _

"…_I am glad Mother forbid me to go." _

"_As am I. No child should know such a sight." _

Then it was over. Carita sighed with relief and shuddered. She was thanking her lucky stars that they didn't do that kind of thing anymore in this era. Regathering her composure, Carita looked to the next page. Caritalina's slightly bitter mood could be felt from the pages, it was almost tangible.

"_The village is in grave times. Our king is angry with us. Alas, Rylee was no common traveler after all. Her true name is Saerlaith, and she was a princess, a daughter of a powerful Celtic king. His country has been at war with ours for years, it was only until we came under the rule of King Ulrich did we make a weak alliance. The arranged marriage between King Ulrich's son and Saerlaith was supposed to strengthen this alliance. But now…the grim events bode ill for us all. Some of King Ulrich's knights have come to our village, I saw them requesting rooms from the inn keeper, as I work as a cook at the humble place. I do not understand why…but one of the knights…I can not banish from my mind. His hair…it was unlike anything I have ever seen…and those cold grey eyes, they resembled stone. I heard him speak his name…His name is Kaithiel – _

And Carita had to stop there. Her fingers had been following each line as she read, but once she came to that name, all air left her lungs and she felt as if she'd been punched in the stomach. There was no flash of light this time, it was an explosion! It was a repeat of when she had first seen Caritalina, except this time, she saw a male in his early twenties decked out in some amour/chain-mail garb.

Not that Carita was paying any attention to that, she was far more too focused on his face. There was no mistaking it. The two-toned blue hair, the stone-cold grey eyes…the blank expression. It was –

Carita was jerked harshly back into reality, leaving her mouth agape as she took in gasping breaths. There was no denying it.

Kaithiel…he was no other than – Kai?!

**222222**

**Yay, done! My back is sore, but it was worth it! Eek, another cliff hanger! I hope you can forgive me! Please review and tell me what you think, you know I love getting feedback and hearing your theories! I hope that you enjoyed this 6****th**** chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it! **

**You/Kai fic fan**


	7. Past Lives

**The Gemini's Other Half**

**Chapter Seven: Past Lives**

**222222**

Carita sat cross-legged on the floor, eyes scrunched tightly. She heard Malee sigh.

"It's not working…"

"I know that! I'm trying!"

Wondering the situation? It was Wednesday, Carita's third day at the all-girls school. Unable to sleep peacefully, due to her revelations made with the Oracle last night, she got ready for school, left a note for Frank and began her cold, dark 10 kilometer walk to the bus stop. She had arrived at school, hours early, only to find some janitors and one or two teachers who had to travel early to reach the school in time. Carita had wandered down to the school hall, and she was surprised to find Malee there. Apparently, the girl was planning out her next dance already, but it wasn't really getting anywhere. One thing led to another, and now Malee was trying to teach Carita how to close her mind. The keyword here, folks, is "trying".

Malee sighed again.

"Ok, stop. You're pushing yourself too hard."

Carita sighed as she opened her eyes, rubbing them in frustration.

"Look, don't beat yourself up about it, you've gotten further so far than the average novice."

Carita flicked one of her long blonde plaits behind her shoulder before focusing her green eyes on Malee.

"You've just got to remember that there's no shortcut to this. It takes a while to master this technique. You have to go slow and easy, one little baby step at a time."

Malee's voice was calm and encouraging, which Carita was glad for.

"Well, how do you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Close your mind."

Carita knew that Malee had to be resisting the temptation of rolling her eyes.

"Shut your eyes, it will help you concentrate better."

Carita did so, Malee's voice in her ears guiding her.

"Now breathe in and count to three before breathing out and repeating. Keep doing that until you feel yourself relax."

Carita continued to keep her eyes closed as she did so. A small smile flitted across her lips as her shoulders uncoiled from their tensed position.

"Good, you're doing a great job. Now, I'm going to try and get inside your mind, alright? When you feel it, try and block me out."

"Ok…"

Carita's mouth pressed together in a firm line as she prepared herself. Suddenly, her posture straightened. There it was. It was hard to describe…Malee's probing. It wasn't sharp or cold, but more smooth and liquid, like water. Carita felt as if Malee, this presence, was trying to get past the wall behind her eyes. Desperately, she tried to push it back, tried to build her wall higher, but Malee was stronger, and slipped through. Carita gave a sigh of defeat as she opened her eyes.

"Hey, don't be so hard on yourself, that wasn't so bad. I'm probably starting you off too soon. Maybe you should just practice on the meditation for now and we'll move onto the mind-blocking later.

"Ok."

Carita stood up and brushed her skirt off, Malee doing the same before tending to her music equipment, starting to store it away in a cupboard at the corner of the hall. Carita shook her head at the girl, blonde plaits swishing back and forth from the movement.

"I just don't know how you do it. You make it sound easier than it actually is!"

Malee laughed before walking back over, slinging on her bag.

"That's because after a few years, I got really, really good at it! Don't worry; you'll get the hang of it!"

Carita sighed as she followed the girl out the doors.

"I just don't know how you do it!"

Malee pursed her lips in thought as she locked the doors and slipped the keys into her bag.

"It works differently with everyone. With me, I just lock up my aura in a closet or box, mentally, of course, then I use my will and focus to put a shield around it if anyone tries to get in."

"Hmm…" Carita trailed off as she thought.

"Don't get your knickers in a knot, though. You'll find out what works best for you."

"I hope so!"

There was silence as the girls continued towards their classroom. Carita peered at Malee from the corner of her eye. She couldn't help but notice the similarities between her friend and the girl her namesake mentioned, Rylee. As if she knew what the blonde had been thinking (being a telepath, that reason was definitely plausible), Malee sighed.

"Yes, I do hold a connection to this "Rylee" a.k.a Saerlaith. Her name is in one of the family bloodline trees in the Annals."

Carita sweatdropped.

"Have I ever told you that your senses are very sharp?"

"No, but you have now."

"Oh…"

"And if it peaks your interest, my soul was split into four parts back in the day. Saerlaith is only one of those quarters."

"Who were the other three?"

"I did a bit of research. One was the daughter of a man who ran an apothecary in 17th century England. Another was the daughter of a Chinese nobleman and the other was a servant for a Thai princess."

"Talk about variety…"

"Yeah…but the crap thing is, when it came to romance, their lives sucked."

"Really?"

"Yep! So you can just imagine…" Malee trailed off with a dry laugh.

"Now that all their souls have bound into one inside me, I'm definitely going to end up as a spinster!"

"Don't say that." Carita chided.

"What? It's probably true! With four combined souls, I've got four times the bad luck in the love department!"

"That was in the past, you never know. It could turn out different."

"Or it could remain just the same."

The tone of Malee's voice caused the aventurine-eyed girl to look at her. There was a glint in Malee's dark eyes, accompanied by a knowing smirk.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Carita asked warily.

Malee kept the taunting smirk as she looked away, averting her eyes to the ground.

"No reason."

But Carita knew better than that.

"There is so a reason! You know something! Tell me!"

Malee laughed.

"Don't worry, you'll figure it out soon enough."

"Aw, Malee…" Carita whined.

Malee just laughed and took off down the corridor as the bell rang.

"Race ya!" she yelled over her shoulder.

Carita just rolled her pale eyes and shook her head before giving in to the chase. As they ran, Carita laughed. And for the first time since her father's death, she was truly happy.

**222222**

However, as she walked past Tyena's seat to reach her own at the back for roll call, Carita wondered how long it would take for her good day to turn bad. A chill of dread trickled down the girl's spine when the citrine eyes caught hers, the glossed lips pouted in a manner that showed the world that the emerald-haired girl was very pleased with herself. Narrowing her eyes in a cautious gaze, Carita didn't break the eye contact until she walked past to sit at her desk. And so the day began.

The first lesson was Science, and the class was made to watch a hell-boring video on Physics. Carita took a few notes, but the dark room and video made her feel drowsy, which didn't exactly help her tired state from lack of sleep. So the blonde put her head on the desk, closing her eyes.

'_Maybe for just a few minutes…' _she thought.

But a few minutes turned into something else, and Carita dozed off. And she dreamt of her father. It was a memory. She was six years old, sitting outside in the backyard. They'd gotten a new fridge that day, so her father had made a puppet theatre out of the cardboard box for her. He was giving her a show right now, with two odd football socks on his hands for puppets. Carita grinned up adoringly at her father's face as he spoke in different funny voices for the characters.

"_Fee, fie, foe, fum, go cook me some breakfast, you lazy bum!" _

_Carita giggled._

"_I would if you didn't eat it all…pig! There's none left!"_

"_But I can hear the frying pan…and I can smell…"_

_David made one of the socks imitate movements for the sniffing and snorting sounds he made. _

"_Hey honey, can you smell that? What is it?"_

"_I can smell bacon!" the 6-year-old chirped happily._

With a jolt, Carita woke up. She snapped upright with a gasp.

"Daddy?"

Immediately, some of the girls sitting close by turned around to look. Carita's face flushed. The uttered word had been no more than a breath, but obviously, some people had heard.

"Are you alright, Carita?" the teacher frowned as she walked towards the girl.

"You look a bit red, are you ill?"

Not quite, but she had to admit, the stares and unexpected attention were making her feel uneasy.

"I do feel a bit dizzy. Could I go to the bathroom?" Carita asked hurriedly.

"Of course. But be quick."

Carita nodded in understanding and briskly strode out the door. Unbeknownst to the blonde, a certain citrine-eyed model had spotted her walking past her classroom window and smirked. Now seemed like a good time. Perfect, actually. Tyena raised her hand to catch the attention of her teacher.

"Miss?" she queried in a sickly-sugary voice.

**222222**

Meanwhile, Carita was leaning forward over the sink, scooping up the cool water rushing out of the tap into her hands, splashing it up onto her face. Carita forced herself to take a few deep breaths as she kept her palms pressed in place. Once she was done, Carita took her hands away and turned off the tap, drying her face on her jacket sleeves before wiping her hands on her skirt.

"Well, well, well…look what we have here."

Carita's head shot up and she caught Tyena's reflection behind her in the mirror. The expression on the model's face was as smug as her voice had sounded. Carita put her guard up instantly.

"What do you want?"

Carita watched the smirking girl warily through the mirror as she walked away from the entrance/exit and came closer, walking behind Carita to slink towards the other end of the basins.

"I know your secret." The black stiletto-wearing girl drawled, brushing a fingertip along the white marble and porcelain before facing the blonde.

"And what would it be exactly, this 'secret' of mine?" Carita snipped, on the defensive.

A fake, twittering laugh left Tyena's bubblegum-pink glossy lips as she tossed some emerald curls over her shoulder.

"I know that you live with Kai…and the reason for it."

Carita stiffened as the citrine eyes locked onto hers.

"Your father died…in a car crash."

Carita felt as if something had dropped to her stomach, her heart and pulses were hammering wildly. Her tongue was immobile as Tyena continued.

"You were on the way home from an ice-skating rink that night, weren't you?"

Carita remained silent as the girl stepped forward.

"Kai's grandfather was given custody of you, so that's why you're in Russia."

Finally, Carita found her voice.

"And your point is?"

Tyena averted her eyes as she traced a circle on the marbled basin with the tip of her index finger. The soft, poisonous laugh that left her was of the femme fatale quality. The citrine eyes quickly snapped back onto Carita's, locking onto them like predator on prey. The girl seemed so uncannily snakelike at the moment that Carita wouldn't have been surprised if a forked tongue just started to flick out of Tyena's mouth.

"Did he always do those sorts of things? To spoil you?"

Carita grit her teeth and clenched her hands into fists.

"I bet he did, right? Tell me, do you think it was because of the fact that your mother walked out on you? Because she didn't want you…"

Carita glared and clenched her fists tighter. Tyena's eyes sparkled with a malicious joy.

"Ooh, I've hit a nerve, have I?" she slowly started to walk closer.

"She never wanted you, did she? So your father spoiled you, to make up for the love that you would never get…your mother's love. He took pity on you…"

The lights in the bathroom flickered momentarily; shocks of electricity appeared to run across them. But neither of the girls paid any heed.

"Yes, I bet that's it…" Tyena hadn't stopped walking closer.

"He pitied you, he never really cared for you, never really loved you."

Carita scowled as her glare hardened. She could feel the heat creep up her neck to her cheeks. She was mad, absolutely livid! How dare this imitation Barbie doll tell her that her father didn't love her! That he spoiled her! What did she know? Did she think she was some all-seeing goddess or something? Because she was no god! If anything, she was Satan's spawn, or his mistress! How dare she speak of her father as if she knew him! She didn't know anything!

"It's all your fault, you know…"

The emerald-haired girl's voice sent chills down her spine. And the words only added further fuel to her anger.

"If he didn't spoil you, he'd still be alive…" Tyena had stopped walking now, so that she stood in front of Carita.

"It's your fault that he died…"

Carita forced the tears back before they got a chance to form. Tyena was so close. So close that Carita could reach out and slap her if she wanted to. And she did. Carita wasn't even aware of raising her hand until the loud smack echoed off the bathroom walls and Tyena's head had snapped to the side. The entire time, the lights had been flickering dangerously. Slowly, Tyena drew her head back, lifting a hand to her abused cheek. She let it drop back down to her side as her cold eyes focused on Carita, mouth pulled back in an ugly snarl.

"You stupid bitch…"

Tyena didn't even get the chance to return the favour.

"No, you're the stupid bitch!" Carita raised her arm to backhand the girl, but never made contact.

The girl was forced back by something unseen, only to crash into the wall and lay crumpled and unmoving on the tiled floor. It was as if Carita had forced her back with her mind…but wasn't that Malee's forte? Even if it was so, Carita couldn't care less right now. She was seeing red, and she wanted revenge. Above Tyena's body, the mirror began to wobble unnaturally and crack. Good, she wanted it to splinter. She wanted the shards of the mirror to stab into Tyena's body and cause her pain. She wanted her to suffer. She wanted her blood. Carita wanted her to die!

"Carita!"

Before she knew it, the girl had been thrown back against a row of toilet cubicles, but her landing had been easier than Tyena's. Carita shook her head to clear it, and when she gathered her bearings, she noticed that the lights were back to normal and the mirror was no longer shaking. Between the two girls stood Malee, who was looking back and forth between them with a pale face.

"Stone the bloody crows…" she hissed.

The brunette snapped her head back in Carita's direction.

"What the hell did you do?"

"Why are you here?"

"I sensed that your aura was troubled when you left the classroom, and when the lights started to go haywire, I felt your aura behind it. I tried to communicate to you through thought, but I couldn't get in." Malee's head turned back to Tyena, her mouth set in a grim line.

"And now I see why." Malee made her way over to Tyena and knelt down for a closer inspection.

She let out a low whistle.

"Jesus, Mary and Joseph! You did a real number on her, mate! Wouldn't want to mess with you anytime soon!" she glanced back over at the slightly shaken blonde.

"Honestly mate, what did you do?"

"She said things about me, things about my past. About my dad. I didn't like it."

Malee released a wry laugh.

"Obviously!"

Malee started to search Tyena's pockets. She ended up pulling out a tube of pink lipgloss. She quirked an eyebrow.

"This'll have to do…"

Malee unscrewed the lid and pulled out the wand. Holding those items in one hand, she pulled at her neck with the other. A black leather cord came into sight, with a brown leather pouch embroidered with a green shamrock on the front. With her free hand, she dipped her thumb and forefinger into the pouch, withdrawing a powdered substance of some sort that she sprinkled into the tube. Sticking the wand back in, she twirled it around before withdrawing it once again. Pushing Tyena's hair away from her forehead, Malee began to paint an intricate design, starting from her right temple, going across her forehead to the other side. Slowly, Carita stood up.

"What are you doing?"

"Altering her memory."

"Why?"

"Why? Why do you think?"

"Uh…"

When there was no further answer, Malee scoffed.

"Could you imagine what it would be like if word about our so-called 'special abilities' got out? Sure, a lot would be disbelieving, but then you've got those crazy theorists who'd just love to examine us, do experiments and autopsy us just to see how we worked. To gain a better understanding for the 'greater good'."

Malee scowled as she performed hand signals until gold and crimson light enveloped her hands.

"They'd never find an answer. And once they'd discover that, they'd try to destroy us. It'd be like modern-day witch trials. Not only that, but it'd also draw the attention of those who are like us. Those who are our enemies." Malee looked over her shoulder to fix Carita with a hard stare.

"I know that you're still a novice to all this, but honestly, I'd thought you'd have more sense than this."

Carita bit her lip as her eyes fell to the tiled floor. She could see the sense in what Malee was saying, and it made her feel somewhat guilty.

"I'm sorry." Carita sounded as small as she felt.

Malee let out another bark of laughter.

"Yeah, I'd bet you'd be."

After a few more moments, the lights faded away and Malee dropped her hands.

"There. Done."

"What did you do? I mean, what changed?"

"Oh, neither of you will be let down that easy. I can tell you that now. She'll remember the talk and the slap. But you walk out after that. She follows you, but bumps her pretty head on the door from slipping up on her heels."

Malee returned Tyena's lipgloss to its rightful place and tucked her shamrock pouch back under her shirt. Brushing her fingers off on her skirt, Malee stood up and eyed Carita once more. The look on her friend's face made Carita feel like the worst person on the planet.

"I'd get going now, if I were you."

Carita didn't need to be told twice. She made a beeline for the exit and was practically flying through the school grounds. When she stopped to catch her breath, Carita noticed that she was among the trees again. Sucking in gulps of air, she walked over to the same spot she had been in before and plonked down onto the grass.


End file.
